Chapter Text
“Hey Gil! Could you make me an extra dagger? I’m teaching Ollie how to use one! Thanks!” Gillion sighs when he hears Chip shout from right outside the captain’s quarters, he could’ve just come in to ask. Gillion’s eyes shoot up to the door as he awkwardly pulls himself up and to his barrel in the corner of the room. He stares down at the water slowly rocking back and forth and conjures up a small dagger in the palm of his hand. The sparkling frosty magic spiraling down his arm and into the barrel to take all the water it could hold.
He holds it lightly in his hands sharpening the edge a bit more. But as he does he slices his finger open and winces. Dark blue blood spilling out from his hand and dripping into the barrel. A rhythmic pattern of water and blood splashing together, a drip that won’t end until he heals himself.
He pauses and lets out a shuddering sigh.
He hasn’t done something like this since his first few sessions with the elders. Sure he was self destructive, bloodied and bruised after every battle, but he hadn’t drawn his own blood for years. Before his magic developed to what it is today. Before he could even understand the prophecy. Before Eydn ever even tried to convince him of choosing his own path. He places the blade lightly to his skin, not piercing himself, but the memories can easily slip back into his mind.
Gillion was just a young guppy when he started his training. His armor and sword were too big for him to support. He did everything the Elders told him to do the moment it was asked of him. They’d never done anything to hurt him unless it was training, so why should he believe they ever would?
His first full year in the castle had just passed and he had just turned six years old, with his birthday just passing the elders decided that he wouldn’t need weekend training to be as easy as it used to be. It was strange not seeing his parents, but he was sure they just got lost. At least Edyn had been there! Even if it was only for a little while…
The few bruises he had gained during the battle portion of his training were the only damage on his body. Though he wasn’t able to heal himself yet, it was part of his training to learn. He would place his hands on the pains and concentrate, as best as a six year old could and slowly, healed a little bit faster than the average triton. The next day all of his scrapes would be gone, not even scabbed over.
“Chosen one. Have you been practicing?” The elder asked as they towered down on him. Gillion nods his head with a small smile, expecting the praise of his elder.
“Why are you smiling? You have not done anything to prove that you have been working hard enough,or that you are even worthy of your title, and fix your posture for gods sake you look worse than a humpback anglerfish,” They said and they easily conjured something up and shoved it into the young guppy’s hands. Gillion's face fell at his elders' words, not even realizing the implications of what he had just been given.
“I-I’m sorry,” he said, bowing his head a little bit. The elder just looked down at him with a pitiful expression and sighed.
“Now Gillion, you know I would never do anything to hurt you. But you need to train, and I think you just need a little more motivation .” They said with a sickeningly sweet smile, and Gillion saw the small sharp object in his hands. He looked up hesitantly at his elder with wide eyes who just nodded, then back down at the dagger.
“What do you want me to do with this..?” He asked, his voice breaking in the middle of his sentence.
“You should know this Champion, this is your chance to prove you are really destined for greatness,” They simply stared back down at him with cold dead eyes and a smile that didn’t reach their eyes.
Gillion took a deep breath, and he plunged the dagger into his side.
His breath grew heavy as he worked up the courage to pull it out, as he did he let out a scared gasp. Then immediately after he placed his hands on the wound. His eyes welled up with tears and his face scrunched up, he was concentrated and took deep breaths albeit a little shaky but they didn’t seem to work. He looked at the person in front of him for guidance, and when he received none, the tears came pouring out as his panicked breath became more labored, his breath in the water became more shallow due to the increasing amounts of blood in it.
“Come on Champion, can’t you heal this little cut yet? It’s not even that big yet, you’ll have to deal with much more. Don’t you want to be able to save us? Don’t you want to be able to save Edyn?” They sighed “Perhaps we waited too long, you’ll have to make up for this one day. I’ll tell the others that we will have to be more vigilant about how we help you, because clearly this is not working,”
He couldn’t breath, his own blood flooding into his lungs, he tried to keep the knife away for a little while longer, but he just hurt himself more. Increasing the blood surrounding him. Gillion could feel his eyes fluttering shut no matter how much he wanted to stay awake.
The last thing that he saw was his Elder glaring down at him. His breathing slowed as he felt a cold air rush over him soon after.
The next day he woke up in his room with the doors locked and a poorly bandaged side. And as he was going to try the door handle-
“Gil! Did you hear me!? Do you have a dagger?!” Chip shouts through the door, his voice getting increasingly louder, cutting through Gillions thoughts. Gillion tries to quickly snap back to reality and dunks his hands in the barrel to wash the blood off. He quickly makes a new dagger and hurries out to Chip and Ollie. His ears slightly ringing and blood still dripped from his hand.