Chapter Text
Tommy’s ears flickered as his sharp teeth dug into the bit in his mouth. His tail was puffed out and had been for hours. The chain that connected his wrists to his collar rattled with each occasional struggle. He had been thrown into a small cage that had only left him enough room to crouch or curl into a ball. He was placed away from the eye and in the dark.
He wasn’t normally in the cage; he could typically be found tied to a post outside of the merchant’s tent. He was able to bask in the warmth of the sunlight and roll in the grass. He was able to chase the butterflies and dragonflies to his heart's content, that was as long as it was within the limits of his lead.
Unlike the other hybrids in the merchant’s “care,” he was special and given a specific purpose. He was a cat hybrid, which meant that it was his job to keep the creepers away. He didn’t care much for that job or benefiting the merchant. He just enjoyed the perks he got for it.
The reason Tommy ended up in the cage was that he decided to bite the hand of a customer who was interested in purchasing one of the hybrids. The man had been eyeing him up and down and reached out to pet his head as if he were some domesticated full-blooded cat. His jaw had latched down hard, his ears had pulled back, and he had let out a vicious growl. He didn’t let go of the man as he screamed and hit him. He didn’t let go as he tore through skin and tasted the iron of hot blood.
He did let go when the merchant activated the slave crest on his hand that sent his body into a full-body spasm of electric shocks. Tommy could barely hear the merchant console the customer over his screams.
I’m so sorry about that. He is recently declawed. Here’s a healing potion, on the house.
Soon after, he was chained and confined.
To an extent, the statement had some truth in it. He had been declawed, but not recently. The merchant declawed him after he had gotten close to scratching the man’s eyes out. The man wasted no time in cutting the first knuckle off each one of his fingers. He could have filed his nails or cut them short, but no, he had mutilated his hands. His hands were healed now, but declawed or not, nothing would have stopped him from attacking anyone who tried him.
Tommy’s ears perked up as he heard the familiar steps of the merchant. Soon the curtain over his cage was thrown back. He could see the merchant along with all of the other goods stored in the back of the tent. He watched with hopeful eyes as the lock of the cage was undone.
The look was immediately spotted, “Don’t get too excited, I’m not done with you yet. I’m just closing shop for now.”
The man was lucky he currently had a bit in his mouth, or he would turn his hand into fine ground meat.
His breath hitched as the short chain between his neck and wrists was grabbed and pulled. His thin light frame was easily pulled out of the cage and tossed to the side.
“Punishment after punishment and you learn nothing. Clearly, I need to try something different.”
Tommy could feel his heart skip a beat. A different kind of punishment? He had been shocked, beaten, starved, humiliated, and mutilated time and time again. He couldn’t think of a punishment worse than all of those. He didn’t think there would be anything that would get him to yield.
As he was dragged outside of the tent and tied to his usual post, he noticed the sun was about an hour away from setting. He didn’t think the man would have enough time to punish him adequately before the monsters started to roam the night.
“Henry, bring out the cage!” The merchant shouted.
As he did, a large muscular male bovine centaur stepped out. Henry was a manual labor hybrid. He had horns that had been cut and filed into nubs of their former glory. He had long ears that dangled from the side of his head, one which carried a yellow ear tag. He had a long tail that flicked and swayed. His coat was a tan brown, and his skin was dark brown with patches of lighter tones.
Henry usually had a perpetual frown, and he didn’t speak much. Though Henry had never spoken a word to him, he had always given him comfort.
As the bovine centaur brought out the cage that Tommy had just come from, his dark eyes softened with pity.
“Now put that filthy mongrel in the cage and hoist it over the tree. Raise the cage but not too high. It needs to be within arms reach.”
Tommy hated pity, but the look of pity soon turned to guilt. He wasn’t sure what he hated more, what was about to come, or the guilt he felt for making Henry assist in his punishment. If he wasn’t as anxious and pissed as he was, he would tell Henry he didn’t blame him. But he had a bit in his mouth and his own problems to worry about, so he would save the mutual comforting session for later.
The blonde didn’t struggle as he was gently lifted and set into the cage. The lead was untied, and the cage was locked. He sat silently as Henry tied the lead around one of the links in the cage. He tried his best not to move around too much as he was carried over to a nearby tree, knowing that the weight would become imbalanced and cause Henry to stumble.
He was both curious and fearful of what was going to happen. He waited with bated breath as the lead was thrown over a low tree branch and was pulled to lift him. The movement stopped when he was raised to the height of an average man’s chest, all that was left was the sway of the cage.
Henry refused eye contact the entire time, hesitantly leaving Tommy there as he was dismissed.
“Hope you’ll learn your lesson after tonight. Though I doubt it.” The merchant sighed and headed inside his tent.
Tommy blinked with confusion and flexed his sore jaw around the bit. Did the merchant intend to leave him out in the cage all night? If so, he was in for a long night. There would be no way he would manage to sleep in his current position. Staying like this would be painful, he wouldn’t be surprised if he lost feeling in his legs during the process.
As he wiggled around, he could feel the bars of the cage cut into his skin under the force of gravity. As the sun began to dip below the horizon, a sudden fear of realization pierced through his heart.
The monsters roam at night and he was stuck out here in a cage. Sure, he didn’t have to worry about creepers, but there were a whole lot of other things that crept in the night. There was a sudden rattling of bones that came from behind him, but he couldn’t turn to see.
Tommy closed his eyes tightly and held his breath. His eyes were jolted open as he heard a whistle in the wind and was then met by a thud against the cage. The cage shook and he let out a whimper as he felt a slight scratch from an arrowhead. His eyes glanced down at an arrow that had fallen to the ground. The head was too large to get through the links of the cage, but the point was sharp and long enough to scratch him if it landed.
When he heard the rattle again, his eyes shot up to the skeleton who was now facing him and setting another arrow. He had lost faith in the Gods, sure that they had turned away from him; but even so, he closed his eyes tightly and began to pray to whatever God would listen.
But no amount of prayer would deliver him.
The hordes of zombies came next.
Tommy’s head was dizzy, and his limbs tingled as air entered and exited his lungs faster than it ever had before. The zombies tugged at his cage, pulling it every which way. The holes of the cage might have been small enough to stop an arrowhead, but they were wide enough for a normal-sized finger to slip in.
The zombie's touch could be felt all over his skin. He could feel their moist decaying flesh as they left smudges of rotten remains on his skin. They reached for him, tugging at his hair and ears. The smell of decay that filled his nostrils wasn’t any better.
Their nails fell from their fingertips as they scratched at him, their tender skin peeled back. He could feel their muscles, bones, and blood.
The cage rocked so hard he feared that the lead would come undone.
Another arrow fired and shot a nearby zombie. The cat hybrid felt relief as that zombie refocused his attention on the skeleton, but it was short-lived as another zombie took its place. Though as the skeleton went to shoot, it was pushed by the zombie. The arrow set loose from the bow and flew higher than the intended target, grazing the lead that held up his cage.
A few strands that held the lead together snapped. Tommy let out a muffled shriek as the cage tilted, hanging on by what was left of the lead. Sadly, the lead wasn’t able to hold under the weight of the caged hybrid and the tugging of the hoard. The lead snapped and the cage fell to the ground.
Tommy was sure this would be the death of him. The cage would break open and he would be easy pickings. Fortunately for him – as fortunate as it could get – his cage remained in tack. He supposed he didn’t have to suffer an agonizing death there and then, but he did have to live the rest of his agonizing life out. He had always told himself that he would escape one day, but with the slave crest that bound him, he wasn’t sure he would be able to get far. So, he supposed that he could at least make life as difficult as possible for the man who held him captive.
Though a part of him wondered if he should just give in.
It would have been a lot easier that way.
By the time morning came around, Tommy couldn’t feel any of his limbs. He was awake, but he wasn’t fully there. He was gripping tight onto his ears as his unfocused eyes stared towards the ground. The light from daybreak and the smell of burning rotting flesh didn’t stir him from his stupor of dissociation.
He didn’t stir as the merchant shook the cage, “Get up it’s morning… I see that you’re awake and breathing, stop ignoring me.”
No response.
“Great, you soiled your clothing. Henry, pull him out and get him a change of clothing! Don't take the bit off.”
Tommy’s legs dangled like rag dolls as he was lifted. Henry had scooped one of his arms underneath the boy’s legs and used his other arm to support his back. He cradled him close to his chest and carried him back inside the tent.
As Tommy was pulled close, he recognized Henry’s scent. The familiarity and feeling of comfort he had associated with that smell slowly brought him back to reality. He blinked slowly as he could feel the tingling ache resurface in his limbs, like icy static or pinpricks of needles.
Tommy started to regain his sense of self by wiggling his fingers and toes. It started like spasms and hesitant twitching. Henry encouraged him by running his hand through his hair. Solely but surely, he fully regained his consciousness. His jaw was too weak to grind against the bit in his mouth. His limbs felt like jelly. His head hurt. But most importantly, he was tired.
He leaned into Henry’s warmth, hoping that it would soothe the chill in his bones that he received from being outside the entire night with no cover. He didn’t want to move. He just wanted to disappear.
Tommy could feel Henry rub gentle circles into his neck and shoulders, easing his tense muscles. Though as he gained more awareness, he was finally able to feel the uncomfortable wetness that came from his pants. A soft whimper of humiliation left his throat.
Henry’s hand lowered to the chain that connected the boy's wrists to the collar around his neck and unclipped it. The blonde immediately lowered his arms and began to stretch them. Normally Tommy would be spitting curses, talking enough for the both of them, but the bit in his mouth prevented that.
Henry slowly stood up and allowed Tommy to move on his own. He could imagine how sore the boy must be after being stuck in a cage in the same cramped position, along with the scratches he got from monsters' arrows and nails.
When the cow hybrid got up, he brought back a change of clothing along with a wet rag, ointment, and bandages. Tommy glanced up as clothing was dropped beside him and a rag was handed to him. He took the rag and stared Henry down as the other turned around to give the boy some privacy.
Tommy undressed and cleaned himself up. He pulled on his undergarment and sat back down on the ground. He snatched the ointment and opened it. He lathered his wounds with it, hissing at the sting and grunting when there were places, he couldn’t reach. He huffed and looked over at the roll of bandages. He grabbed it and tossed it at Henry's back.
Henry flinched and turned back around, glancing down at the bandages as they hit the floor. He seemed to get the gist because he picked up the bandages and knelt next to the boy. Tommy handed him the ointment and then turned his back to the other. Henry finished covering his back before he started wrapping him in bandages.
Once they were finished, Henry looked down at the boy’s scratched wrists in mourning. Tommy’s blue eyes flashed with confusion then to a resentful glare before settling on a downturned resignation as he lifted his wrists to his chest. Henry frowned deeply as he reconnected the short chain from his collar to the loops on his cuffs.
If Tommy had enough energy and he could speak, he would be spitting curses non-stop. But all he wanted to do was collapse into the soft grass in the warm sun and sleep. As the two stood, he grabbed onto Henry’s arms and leaned the majority of his weight onto him. He limped and dragged his feet until they finally made it outside.
When the merchant caught sight of them, he shouted his next orders, “Tie him to his post, but don’t take off his restraints. Then help me set up shop.”
Being tied to the post was something he was used to. He would get to go as far as the lead would allow him. But his body was in no shape for moving around. Once he was tied to his post, he collapsed to the ground and stretched out as much as he could, then rolled around a bit to find the most comfortable position. Henry on the other hand went to help the merchant set up shop. He watched with heavy-lidded eyes as the hybrid carried around heavy crates on his shoulders.
Tommy seemed to doze off for a moment, as he was awoken by a hard nudge by a foot. His eyes had shot open and his body jerked back. His heart pounded in his chest and his breathing hastened.
It was a monster. They made it through the cage. They're gonna eat me.
He snapped out of it as he heard the merchant's voice, “There are going to be new rules.”
Tommy could feel his breathing return to normal as his heart rate slowly lowered.
“You are going to keep those restraints on until you learn to behave yourself. The only time you are allowed to have them off is when you eat and drink. You will have three times a day where you will be allowed to drink. You will only get one meal every three days. After your training is completed and you show no disobedience, you will be able to enjoy more privileges.”
Just when Tommy thought the bastard was done speaking, he had something else to say, “Also, you’ll now work at keeping the monsters away at night as well. You do well to keep the creepers away in the morning, but you also work as great bait during the night. I haven’t slept that well on the road in a while. Of course, you’ll be getting a larger cage for this, but you will receive that privilege only after you start showing improvement in your behavior.”
Tommy glared up at the man. He wanted to claw and tear him apart. The merchant’s gaze only became hardened when he saw the boy’s expression.
“I’ll have none of that. Keep your head downturned from now on. Nod your head if you understand.”
Tommy was sure one of his veins would burst with how tense he was. He wanted to fight, but he knew it would lead him nowhere. No matter what he wanted, he had no choice, especially when the slave crest was still active. The best he could do is suck up to the man until his ‘privileges’ returned. At least that way it would be a little more comfortable than what he currently has. So, he turned his head down and nodded.
“Good. I’m done with you for now. Just stay right here and do your job keeping the creepers away.”
Tommy felt relieved as the merchant walked away and he was finally allowed to rest. Luckily he didn’t have to do much to keep the creepers away. All he had to do was exist.
Tommy let his heavy eyelids fall once more as he fell back asleep.
Techno headed down the road at a steady pace. He had several long days of travel ahead of him and he didn’t want to tire his steed Carl out too soon. He was heading out of the Esempee kingdom to the capital of the Arctic empire because of a direct summons from the Emperor, his longtime friend from the past. He hadn’t heard from the man in a while, as he had gone out to travel. So, the fact that Phil had gone to strenuous lengths to contact him must have meant that it was important.
Since it would be a lengthy trip, he would need to stock up on supplies from the nearest shop. The road he was on was a popular one, it was the main route from the outskirt towns to the inner cities. He would probably end up bumping into several kinds of people. So, there should be some merchants around to purchase from.
As he continued down the path, he could see a wide blue tent set up with goods on display that were facing the road. He could tell that it was a temporary setup, something that would be packed up and moved to another location following the seasons.
As he got closer, he could make out the provisions of fresh produce. Fresh produce would be difficult for long travel, as they spoil easily, and they attract wild animals. Though he supposed a few fresh produces as a beginning snack wouldn’t be too bad. There was also the chance that he might come across some interesting artifacts or weapons.
Techno slowed Carl down so he could dismount to check out the rest of the merchant's shop. He didn’t bother to hitch Carl anywhere; he knew his trusted steed wouldn’t run off without him. As he got closer, he caught sight of a beaten and sleeping form. At first, he couldn’t tell what it was, but he soon noticed a slight twitch in what appeared to be a cat ear. A deep frown settled on his face when he saw the lead and the slave crest on the top of the cat hybrid’s hand.
The hybrid slave trade was legal in the Esempee, so he shouldn’t be too surprised when he sees it in action. But all because it was legal, didn’t mean it was right. Seeing the young cat hybrid covered in injuries filled him with hot rage. He had always told himself that he would topple the Esempee government if given a good reason. He already had a good enough chance, though. He supposed all he needed now was some backup. As much as he liked to believe he could topple an entire country on his own, he would probably need a little help.
Though he hadn’t outright destroyed the Esempee government yet, he still brought justice with him where he could. It would seem that today’s justice would take the form of dragging a certain merchant behind his horse until he reached the Arctic Empire, setting the slaves free, taking whatever goods he wanted, and leaving the rest for people to take.
All that he has to do now is find the merchant in charge. It didn’t take long for that bastard to find him. The man was tall and thin, slicked back hair, clothed in purples, reds, and golds, as if he were trying to show off his wealth.
“Greetings traveler, what might you be looking for today.”
“I was mainly looking to restock my supplies, but I also wanted to see if you might have any interesting items.”
The merchant looked him up and down, sizing him up, “Well, I do have a sword that gets stronger by cutting down its enemy. It feeds off blood and is rumored to be one of the four legendary artifacts of the Blood God.”
Techno narrowed his eyes at that statement. He could tell that the merchant was lying. He had that arrogant look in his eyes, the ones that swindlers have when they think they found a sucker. The man probably thought he was no brain all brawn.
“Could I see it?” He might as well indulge the man.
It was only for a split second, but Techno could see the moment of hesitation, “Absolutely, just wait right here.”
Techno let his eyes wander as he stood there waiting for the merchant. He caught the sight of a cow centaur chopping firewood. He could hear the sounds of a few other hybrids, but he wasn’t able to see them. There were quite a few tents set up, so he wouldn’t be surprised if one of them held the hybrids.
There were probably too many hybrids for him to lead across the border. It would look too suspicious to any guards. One way he could get by would be if he formed a slave pack with all of the hybrids here, but he would rather not immediately form a slave pack with them after getting rid of their current slave pack. He wasn’t even sure if he would be able to get the hybrids to agree with that plan. The moment he frees them, they would probably make a run for it. If he was in their position, he wouldn’t trust him either.
Though he probably would not be able to take all of them safely across the border, he could at least point them in the safe direction. He supposed that did save him the trouble of securing horses for the travel and supplies to keep them fed and hydrated. He was short-handed anyways. Unprepared for a mission like that. Though he supposed that he should wait to see how it would pan out. He hadn’t freed them yet, but he would take anyone willing.
As Techno was playing out the scene in his head, the merchant came back out with the claimed Blood God’s sword. When his eyes found the sword, he almost struggled to keep his expression neutral. He could feel a distinct hum coming from his axe at his hip. He could also hear the voices begin to whisper. The sword was genuine, but the merchant thought it was a fake.
When the sword was brought out into the open, Tommy stirred awake. He could feel the thrum of power and the ominous aura it carried. He could feel his tail puff out. He gazed at a new man, one of large stature, long pink hair braided back, and red eyes that seemed to pierce. He had armor and weapons. An axe that sat at his side had a similar feel to the sword, but the feeling seemed more subdued.
Tommy kept his mouth shut and his breath shallow as he watched their interaction. Whoever the guy was, he was not good news. Despite knowing this, he couldn’t help but feel a tug towards him.
“Let me hold it.” Techno reached his hand out.
The merchant held the sword underneath the man’s hand and Techno grabbed it to examine it. He could feel the power within the sword.
“Are you sure this isn’t a fake? This feels like a regular sword.” Techno deadpanned.
“No, I can assure you that it is real. The sword just needs to be awakened through combat.”
Techno analyzed the sword, “Through combat you say. So, you’re telling me that there is only one way to prove that this is real, and it is through bloodshed.”
“Yes, unfortunately, there is nothing here to test it on.” The merchant gave a fake frown.
Techno scoffed, “Of course there is.”
He raised the sword and the merchant's eyes widened, “You’re here.” As he slashed the sword down, it ripped through the man in front of him. As the blood sprayed and the man fell, the sword still didn’t change.
Techno sighed and attached the sword to his side. Typically, a Blood God weapon would soak in the blood of whoever was cut down, but the sword didn’t drink and remained dormant. This would only mean that he was incompatible with the sword. He hoped that he would have been able to wield the Blood sword, as he was the God’s patron and wielder of the Blood Axe. But it seemed like the sword wasn’t meant for him, but another soul destined to become another patron of the Blood God. He supposed that he would no longer be the only one, that is if he lived long enough to meet them.
When the voices finally calmed down, Techno noticed that the sounds of the trapped hybrids had gotten louder. He noticed the centaur from earlier running towards the camp from the tree line. He turned to see the cat hybrid staring at him with wide eyes.
Tommy wasn’t sure what he should have expected when the man took the sword. He certainly didn’t expect the man to cut his captor down. He didn’t expect the slave crest on his hand to burn up and disappear. Were his last moments of finally gaining freedom end in an untimely death and demise?
Despite his terror, he could still feel the urge to go to him, and that perhaps terrified him even more.
When their eyes met, Tommy stopped breathing altogether. The man started walking towards him. He could see Henry running towards their tents. He wanted Henry to get to him first, but he also wanted him to run away. He could see Henry lowering his head to brandish what horns he had left.
Techno stopped walking towards the chained hybrid when he heard the heavy steps start gaining on him. He turned around to see dull mid-sized horns pointed at him. On one hand, he didn’t want to hurt the hybrid, on the other, he also didn’t want to get hurt.
Techno put his hands up in a mock to surrender and stopped moving. If need be, he could always jump out of the way to dodge.
“Stand down, I’m not here to hurt you. I’m here to get you out of here!”
The centaur slowed down, circled Techno, and settled in front of the other hybrid with a protective stance.
“There are others that still need to be freed, I’ll help.”
Henry glanced at Tommy and Tommy gave a small nod. He leaned down and untied the lead from the post. All that was left would be to unchain the cuffs from his wrist and his neck. As they were doing that, Techno looked over the body of the merchant and located a ring of keys. After securing the keys, he walked back over to the hybrid and unlocked the cuffs. Henry helped pull the cuffs and collar off and tossed it aside.
Tommy would have taken the binds off on his own, but he knew the other hybrid was a mother hen who worried over him. Once he was freed, he tried to push himself up to stand.
“Let me help free the others.” As he was straining himself to stand, Henry gently pushed him to stay down.
Tommy frowned at the action and raised his head to meet the other head-on, “Hey-” Though when he met the centaur's eyes, his mouth shut, and he sighed.
“Fine.” He sighed and Henry smiled, ruffling the blonde hair before making his way over to the tent with the other man.
Though Tommy’s sore and exhausted body felt relief when he stopped straining himself, his heart felt a pained tug when the two left his side. He had no idea what was wrong with him. He had never felt like that before, and he wasn’t about to let himself feel that way now. Though he supposed that was easier said than done.
The atmosphere between Techno and Henry was tense as they walked to the tent. It was clear that the hybrid didn’t trust the other yet. Techno didn’t take offense to it, he just hoped to get this job done before another traveler happens to stumble upon the scene before everyone gets the chance to leave.
When their steps got closer to the tent, the sounds from the other hybrids went silent. As soon as Henry revealed himself to the other hybrids, they all started to whisper amongst themselves again. There weren’t many that were held captive, just four of them. They all looked pretty younger than the cat hybrid.
As they filtered outside of the cages Techno could make out what kind of hybrids they were. Two avians that were possibly chickens, a spider, and a moth. The four seemed to run to Henry’s side, clinging onto him and hiding behind him. It was clear that the centaur was like a guardian to the hybrids.
As Henry tended to the other hybrids, Techno made his way out to look through the other tents. As he was looking, he found a whole bunch of potions and a bag of golden apples. He snagged a few golden apples and a single potion of healing. As he walked out of the tent, the hybrids were all outside, a few of the younger ones were hanging off of the cat hybrid’s arms.
Techno supposed that this was the best time to explain the situation to them, “I am Technoblade and I come from the Arctic Empire. I was traveling back to the Empire when I arrived here to restock on supplies. I killed the merchant which in return destroyed the slave pact that bound you. Slavery is illegal in the Arctic Empire, whoever wants to come with me, I shall take you across the border. If you decide not to come with me, I will give you directions.”
From the looks of it, none of the hybrids intended to follow him. It was understandable, it seemed like they were pretty attached, and in the circumstances trusting an outsider could be dangerous.
Techno let out a sigh, “Very well. There are a bunch of potions and supplies here that you can use to take care of yourselves and fend off anyone who attacks you. If you stay in the forest and continue to head north, you’ll make it into the Arctic Empire. Well, nice knowing you, safe travels, and uh… don’t get caught.”
Techno left the hybrids to themselves as he walked over to his horse. He untied the lead and hopped onto his back. As Tommy watched the man get further and further away, he felt as if he was suffocating. He wanted to stay behind to help Henry with the others, but he couldn’t even move around too much on his own, and now it felt like he was about to get his heart ripped out.
“Wait!” Tommy gasped, it hurt to shout, his throat was scratchy from screaming and crying the whole night, “Wait, I’ll go.”
Henry seemed taken aback, while the other younger hybrids weren’t too sure what was happening. Techno stopped his horse and dismounted. He slowly walked over, not wanting to upset the guardian figure even more.
“Are you sure?” Techno looked down at the boy, who looked unsure about his declaration.
“...Yes… but I want to be able to ensure their safety,” Tommy puffed up his chest.
“I can’t ensure their safety with absolute certainty unless everyone comes with me, but there is something we can do to make their travels safer.” Techno leaned down and pulled a knife from his boot and pointed the handle toward the hybrid, “We will need a lock of your hair as well as your bandages.”
Henry held his hand out in front of Tommy, but Tommy gently lowered the hand, “It’s okay, it’s just some hair and bandages.”
Tommy grabbed the knife and cut off some of his overgrown hair. It made his bangs look a little uneven, but he already looked like an unkempt mess, so it didn’t matter to him. He handed the lock over and Techno wrapped it in string he had pulled from his bag. Once it was secured, he handed it over to Henry, who had a confused expression.
Tommy then started to unwrap the bandages from his arms and handed them to Techno. Once Techno had them, he gave them to Henry as well. Henry’s confusion only increased as well as his worry.
“I’ll explain. Kid here is a cat hybrid, so creepers do not go anywhere near him. By giving you bandages covered in his blood as well as his hair, it will keep the creepers away. Though this will only be effective for around two days, you should cross the border by then.”
Techno dug around in his satchel and pulled out an insignia of some sort, “This is my crest, once you cross the border, show the Arctic Empire guards this crest. Tell them that Technoblade sent you. They will take you to the Emperor and you will receive lodging and food, we will meet you there.”
Henry hesitantly took the insignia and weighed it in his hand.
“Take the supplies you need from here, there are carts and wagons here that you can pull that will make it easier, though I’m not sure how well those would work when traversing through the woods. We need to leave soon before anyone discovers this scene.”
When Techno took a few steps back, he turned around to see if the cat hybrid was still following behind. The boy seemed to be in the middle of hugging all of the hybrids. Once he was done saying goodbyes, he walked towards Techno.
Henry straightened his back and stepped forward as well, “Keep him safe or I’ll make you regret it.” His voice was deep and hoarse. Tommy’s eyes widened in shock. It had been the first time he had heard Henry speak. He never spoke. It had made their parting harder, but he had to remember that he would be able to see them again once they both made it to the Empire. Living in freedom with them would be with it.
“Don’t worry.” Techno reassured him, showing off his sharp canines with a grin, “I’m a one-man army.” One cannot easily kill a Blood God's patron.
Tommy gave Henry one last hug before he joined Techno on the horse. Techno had easily lifted him and placed him at the front before he jumped onto the horse’s back behind him. He grabbed the reins before giving one more look at the group and racing off. Tommy on the other hand kept his head turned and his eyes on them for as long as he possibly could.
They rode for ten minutes in silence before Techno spoke up, he seemed a little awkward now that it was just the two of them, “So… what is your name?”
Tommy felt his heart skip a beat at the question. He didn’t know why he was so nervous; the man had just freed him and who he considered family, “Um, it’s Thomas, Tom, Tommy.” He let out a nervous laugh.
“That’s a pretty long name…” Techno said offhandedly.
“Oh no, all of those aren’t a single name, just nicknames that you could use. I know, pretty plain compared to Technoblade.” Tommy thumbed at his fingers.
“Techno.”
“Huh?”
“You can call me Techno.” Techno clarified.
“O-oh okay.” Tommy wanted to curl into himself. He can’t believe he agreed to go. It was so awkward. How could he at one moment feel so suffocated and pained at the moment of separation, but now feel completely fine? It was strange and he definitely wasn’t going to say anything, because that was fucking weird. Technoblade would probably think he was crazy.
There was another moment of silence before Techno spoke up again, “I have a healing potion.” Techno let go of the reign with one hand and pulled out a healing potion from his bag and handed it to Tommy.
Tommy rubbed the glass bottle that Techno handed to him, “Thank you.” It felt odd, he wasn’t too sure if he should drink it. On one hand, his body was in a lot of pain and every time he breathed, he felt a sharp pain, on the other you aren’t supposed to drink things from strangers… especially if they were human.
Techno was able to sense the hesitation in the other, “It’s not poison. If I wanted to harm you, I would have done it already and I would have done the same to the others.”
Tommy’s grip on the bottle tightened, he knew Techno was right. If he wanted to harm him, he wouldn’t have gone through all of the efforts to help them including giving away his insignia. He pulled the cork out of the bottle and brought it to his lips. The liquid was bitter, but drinking a bitter healing potion was better than being in pain for a long time. Who knew when he would be able to receive medical attention.
Tommy leaned his head back and started drinking the potion. He couldn’t down it in one go because he wasn’t able to get a good breath before doing it. He had to lower the bottle and take a few shallow breaths before he brought the bottle back to his lips. Once he finished the rest of the potion, Techno took the bottle and put it back into one of his many bags that hung off the horse.
“Who are you? You must be a powerful person if you are this important in the Arctic Empire.” Tommy thought back to the insignia that he said would bring the others straight to the Emperor.
“I’m just a wandering mercenary.” Techno shrugged.
Tommy snorted and rolled his eyes, “Sure you are, a regular mercenary who has connections to the Emperor.”
“I’m good friends with Emperor Philza. He is the patron to the God of Death; he is her angel. They call him the Angel of Death. I on the other hand am a patron of the Blood God, people used to refer to me as the Blood God, but that would be inaccurate. I’m just one of his warriors and wielder of his Blood Axe.”
This was something far beyond Tommy. The man was talking about Gods and being said God’s patron. He didn’t have much knowledge of the outside world. He had never thought about it too much, too focused on day-to-day survival.
As they continued, Tommy could still feel the ominous presence of the blood god weapons, along with the ever-growing pull of the sword. The more he focused on the pull, the more the outside world seemed to disappear. He found himself focusing a bit too long when he started to hear whispers. It was like ice-cold water ran down his spine. He needed to distract himself from whatever creepy otherworldly thing was happening with that sword.
“What other Gods are there?”
Techno hummed, “The Goddess of Death is also a minor God in family and love. The Blood God is the God of blood and is a minor God of war. Then there is Exdee, the God of life and a minor harvest, fertility, love, and creation. There is Drista, the trickster Goddess of chaos. There is God Prime, the God of prosperity, and a minor God of Wealth and Luck. Then there is Callahan, the God of elements and minor God of creation.”
“That’s way too much to keep track of.” Tommy sighed.
Techno shrugged “That’s okay, you don’t have to know it all right away. Personally, I normally just keep to the Goddess of Death and the Blood God. I don’t care too much for the others.”
“But isn’t that like blasphemy or something? Will the Gods strike you down for something like that?”
Techno snorted, “Please, kid. They don’t care. People curse their names all the time, some outright refuse their existence. The Gods don’t go smiting for trivial things like that… most of the time.”
“What do you mean, most of the time?” The cat hybrid's ears flickered with nervousness.
“Well… the Gods have favorites and if anyone messes with their chosen, then the Gods can become very petty and vengeful, but the term that they would prefer would be… protective.”
Tommy’s interest peaked, “What happened for them to be seen as protective?”
Techno hummed, “The Blood God doesn’t show himself in person, but he gives me immense power to enact his will. In these moments, I become a berserker with a demigod-like strength. I get this strength anytime I, my loved ones, or the Blood God’s loved ones get hurt. One time my friend’s son was almost assassinated, he was badly hurt and on the verge of death. At that moment, the Blood God lent me his strength and I eliminated the assassins.”
“Woah, so you get super strong? What does it feel like?”
“Well… I don’t retain much of my memory during those times, but when it does happen, it feels like power humming through my veins. My head starts to buzz, and the voices get really loud. I get tunnel vision and all of my senses are heightened.”
Tommy frowned, “Voices?”
Techno shrugged, “Yup, voices. Don’t know where they came from or who they are, if they were even people… but the first time I heard them was when I touched the Blood axe.”
Tommy’s thoughts went full circle. He started the conversation to keep his mind off the blood weapons, but now he was thinking about the sword again. As his attention was brought to the sword, he could feel the pressure of its presence in his mind. He could hear the muffled whispers as if they were being held back by a floodgate. His eyes drifted back to the sword at Techno’s side. He could feel it calling to him, pulling him closer to touch it.
A shiver went down his spine and he clutched his pants and turned back around. He took a deep breath. He needed to get his mind off of the axe. That axe screamed evil.
“S-So” Tommy’s voice shook, “What other God revenge stories do you have?”
Techno’s brows furrowed as he observed Tommy’s behavior, “Well… There was one time when Exdee smote a whole village who outcast his lover and burned down his house.”
Tommy snorted, “He what? A god smote an entire village, children included because he had a human lover? What is a God doing dating a human anyways?”
“A mortal? Yes. A human? No. His lover was a mooshroom hybrid. As soon as the humans found out that he was a hybrid, they kicked him out. Exdee was furious and got rid of the entire village.”
“Damn, that’s crazy, what other stories do you have?” Tommy seemed to become antsy.
Techno narrowed his eyes on the boy, but continued, “Well… the Goddess of Death leveled an entire army for her lover.”
“She’s got a lover too?! What’s up with Gods and dating mortals?”
“Well, her lover is no longer a mortal. He was once a mortal who was Death’s favorite patron. Once he died, he was granted immortality and was made into her angel. Her angel of death. Together they had a kid.”
“Hold on hold on hold on. They had a child? Is that even possible? Is the kid a mortal or is he a God?”
Techno let out a hearty laugh, “That pipsqueak? I could drop-kick him if I wanted to. Though I would be lying if I said that his musical capabilities weren’t godlike.”
Tommy frowned, “So he is a mortal?”
Techno nodded, “For now, though I wouldn’t be surprised if Death decided to grant him immortality once he dies. He would probably be granted black wings just like his father, becoming another one of her angels.”
“You talk as if you personally know them, do you?”
“Yes, Phil is my old friend, and their son is kind of like a nephew to me. You will probably meet them soon. I am on my way to visit them.”
“Wait, we’re on the way to see your emperor friend… that means the emperor is married to the literal Goddess of Death. Holy shit, this man is a legend. I’ve never met someone who was a God patron.”
Techno stared down at the boy, “Really kid? I’m right here.”
Tommy waved his hand, “No need to be jealous big man, I’m sure you’ll become important someday.”
“You’re lucky I don’t kick you off my horse, you little shit.”
The blonde laughed, throwing his head back, bumping it into the other's chest. Techno gave the boy an unimpressed stare. Eventually, their banter settled down into silence once again. And as the silence grew, so did Tommy’s discomfort. Techno seemed to pick it up again.
“Hey, kid… are you okay?” Techno’s tone was awkward, clearly not used to catering to children.
“Uhh… yeah?” Tommy’s voice cracked at the end.
Techno raised his brow, unconvinced, “You sure, you don’t sound too confident about your answer?”
Tommy glanced back at the sword again, Techno followed his gaze, “Um… well… that sword is ominous, it… feels… I don’t know how to put it. It feels like it’s trying to get me to touch it.”
Techno blinked, “It is?”
Tommy nodded his head, “Every time it gets quiet, or I think about the sword, there is this growing pressure and fog in my head, and it feels like it is whispering to me. It wants me to hold it.”
Techno gave a thoughtful hum and slowed Carl down to a stop.
“Why are we stopping?” Tommy turned to face Techno as the larger man dismounted.
“I am testing something. Here, hop off.” Techno extended his hand. Tommy gave a lopsided frown and took the other’s hand, slowly getting off the horse, leaning on Techno to make sure he didn’t fall.
“What is it?” Tommy watched carefully.
Techno pulled the sword from his hip and held the hilt out to the hybrid, “Grab it.”
“What?!” Tommy’s eyes widened and his tail puffed up.
“Just grab it.”
“No, it’s evil!” Tommy hissed and retracted his hands.
“Trust me. I’m touching it and nothing is happening.” Techno held the sword out even further.
Tommy looked down at the hilt then back up at Techno. Techno hadn’t done anything bad to him so far. He had promised his family sanctuary. He was escorting him to the empire where he would be protected and safe. He took in a deep breath and took a leap of faith. He extended his hand. As soon as his fingertips touched the hilt, he couldn’t stop himself from grasping the rest of it. He gasped as he felt power rush into him.
The fog broke in his mind, a floodgate opened, and the voices rushed in.
One of us.
The voices chanted. It felt overwhelming but invigorating. It felt like he could take on the world.
Blood for the Blood God
It felt like he could take on everything.
Techno watched as the sword changed from a dull gray iron to a sharp crimson weapon of destruction. He watched as the dried blood on the sword was sucked into the sword, making it glow a red hue. The voices in his head roared. Though they were loud, there were a lot less than he was used to. As if the birth of another Blood God weapon wielder ended up lifting the weight on his shoulders, allowing them to share the voices instead of all the voices being in one head.
He never would have thought he would meet another one, but there was another one like him. Someone who would understand his burden. When the two looked eye to eye, Techno could see that the boy’s eyes were no longer blue, but red. Another mark of the Blood God. Techno couldn’t help but grin, this was the birth of a new patron.
“Welcome to the team, kid.”
Tommy blinked, still getting used to the voices and his heightened senses, “What do you mean team?” He shouted.
“The Blood God made you the wielder of the Blood sword. It’s just you and I, kid.”
“What the fuck what the fuck what the fuck.”
Tommy looked at the sword then to Techno then to the axe on the man’s hip. The axe and the sword shared the same color. They looked like they were made of the same material, what that was, he had no idea.
“You’ll get used to the voices and the heightened senses. If you need to take a break, let me know and we can set up camp.”
Tommy took a moment to think, “You know what, I’m actually filled with energy, can we keep going?”
Techno nodded, “Think you can hold onto that sword or do you need me to hold it for you.”
The thought of losing the sword made Tommy grip it tighter, “... no, I got it.”
“Okay, let’s go.”
Techno helped Tommy mount the Carl before he mounted after him, “I’ll have to get you a scabbard and a belt, so you don’t have to hold it everywhere.”
Tommy wasn’t paying too much attention, too focused on the feeling of the wind on his face. He could feel the vibrations of the horse galloping. He could hear Techno’s heartbeat. He kept the sword grasped in his lap. His ears flicked and his tail waived with excitement.
He was reborn. Maybe being Blood God patron didn’t sound too bad. Especially now that he had a badass sword.