Archive of Our Own

The last thing Chilchuck sees of the outside world is a peek of Marcille’s winged monster circling in the blue skies above. Then the ground swallows him whole.

Chilchuck wakes up in a bedroom. On a bed. He squints. Blinks again. Rubs his eyes to make sure he’s seeing it right. It’s clearly furnished for a half-foot. A size appropriate set of table and chairs, and a bed that’s short enough he doesn’t have to hoist himself up onto it like it’s a horse. Where exactly is he?

“Senshi? Marcille?” he calls. “Laios? Izutsumi?”

Nobody responds. He swings his legs over the side of the bed and means to stand up but is hit with a wave of dizziness. Ugh. He never did cope well with teleportation magic.

“Laios? Senshi?” he calls again, once he can stand. He checks his pockets. His pouch is gone, as well as his pocket knife. There’s a window. He stumbles over towards it. Blue sky. Green grass. Is the view outside even real? Or is it an illusion?

The door opens. It’s—

“Laios!” Chilchuck exclaims.

“Chil,” Laios says, smiling. “You’re awake. How do you feel?”

“I’m fine, where are the others?”

Laios doesn’t answer him. “How do you like your room? Everything’s the right size, right? I haven’t seen much half-foot furniture before, but I did my best.” A seed of dread begins to grow inside Chilchuck.

“Laios…”

“Let me know if you want anything changed. I modelled the decor after my own home but if you want different colors or materials, I can do that.”

“Laios.”

“Also have you seen the view? I know you know it’s not real, but I thought it’d be nice to look out at something. And I was hoping at some point you’d be amenable to walking around with me sometimes.”

“Laios!” Chilchuck yells. “You—You’re…” he trails off. Laios. Stupid, infuriatingly selfless and selfish Laios.

“Yes, Chil?” Laios says.

“What did you do?” Chilchuck asks. “And what are you wearing?” he gestures towards Laios’ new outfit. He’s still wearing his usual armor, but now has a pair of horns curling around his neck reminiscent of Senshi’s helmet. Except whereas Senshi’s horns were short and stubby, these are long and sharp looking. Add on a long, blood-red cape draped around his shoulders, Chilchuck doesn’t like what the odds are telling him.

“Oh, this?” Laios spins around a little. “Do you like it? The lion said it would make me look more intimidating. And if I look intimidating then less people will attack us.”

No. No. Chilchuck knows what that means. “Then you. You’re…” The dungeon master. And under the influence of the demon.

Laios seems a little disturbed by Chilchuck’s despair. “I’ll leave you to settle in,” he says.

-

The door is locked, of course. It’s the first thing he tries after Laios walks out. The next is the window. Also locked. He opens the drawer on the nightstand by the bed. Empty. The chest at the foot is also empty. This room is static. Like one might find inside dollhouse. Not lived in by real people.

He hopes the others are okay. Did Laios also trap them in rooms like his? And what happened to Falin? Chilchuck isn’t going to get answers by sitting here though. He hefts the chair up. And throws it with all his strength.

The window shatters. Chilchuck brushes away the glass with a hand wrapped with his neck band. Time to find out how far up he is. He peers out and down. It doesn’t look too far down. Chilchuck inhales. The longer he takes the bigger possibility that Laios returns to stop him.

He jumps.

-

He barely has time to register the pain from his ankle hitting the ground when he finds himself transported back inside the room. “Wha—”

“You could’ve hurt yourself.” Laios is sitting in the room. The chair is comically small for him. Chilchuck’s leg wobbles underneath him. Laios sees it. His eyes narrow. “You did hurt yourself.” Laios stands. “Let me,” he says. With a wave of his hand the window is repaired and his ankle is healed.

“Why are you doing this?” Chilchuck asks.

Laios has the audacity to look hurt. “Because I care about you,” he says.

“What about the rest of the island?” Chilchuck says.

“I don’t want to hurt people,” Laios says. “It’s them who keep attacking.” Attacking, Chilchuck thinks. So there are still people out there alive and who are fighting. Probably the Canaries. Something draws Laios’ attention away from Chilchuck. He tries to listen and figure out what, but he didn’t hear anything. Something on another floor of the dungeon then?

A chain appears around his ankle, tethering him to the bed. “Wait, Laios—"

“I’m sorry, Chil,” Laios says, and he at least looks guilty, “But I need you to stay here and safe while I finish figuring things out.”

“Laios!” he yells, but Laios is already gone.

-

The chain is long enough he can comfortably reach most of the room. Except for the door, which remains frustratingly out of reach. It fits loosely around his ankle, and even is padded on the inside as to not chafe his skin. Chilchuck hates how much care and thought Laios put into it.

It scrapes against the ground slightly as he paces. He’s on his thirty-third loop of the room when he catches a glimpse of blonde hair through the small window on the door.

“Marcille!” Chilchuck yells. “Marcille!” Her ear twitches, then she turns her head and spots him. Immediately she brightens. She races over to the door.

“Chilchuck!” she says happily. “How are you liking it here?”

“What?” Chilchuck hisses.

“Is something not to your liking?” Marcille asks. She’s still wearing that ridiculous black dress the lion made for her. Does it play dress up with everyone? “I can let Laios know.”

“I’m being held captive here,” he says flatly.

“Laios wants you, us, to be happy. Anything you want, he can do for you.”

“I want to leave.”

Marcille’s face shutters. “It’s safe here,” she says, “we can have anything we want here. Don’t you want something, Chilchuck?” I want my daughters, he thinks. I want my Laios back. Not this twisted version of him. I want to fix all of this and make everyone normal again.

Instead, he averts his eyes and doesn’t say anything.

“I’ll let you think on it,” Marcille says.

Where is Marcille staying? Clearly she’s not stuck in captivity the way Chilchuck is. He wonders how much of it is her own volition, how much of it is her love for Falin, and how much is whatever residue the demon left in her mind when she was dungeon master.

Chilchuck curls up on the bed. He misses his friends.

-

Laios comes by again later, bearing a bowl of some sort of stew (gods, Chilchuck hopes it’s just beef or pork and not minotaur or something). This is obviously meant to be some sort of apology. “Are you hungry?” Laios asks. Chilchuck eyes the bowl. He is hungry, but…

“Where did you get that? Did Senshi make it?” he asks.

“Senshi—No. He didn’t make it.”
Chilchuck raises an eyebrow. “Did you make it?”

“Erm.” Laios rubs the back of his neck sheepishly. Chilchuck narrows his eyes.

“The lion made it,” he says flatly. “What happened to Senshi? And Izutsumi? What did you do to them?” Laios’ eyes go distant, his mind somewhere else. Controlling the dungeon? he wonders, talking to the demon?

Then he refocuses. “I’m sorry Chil. I’ll try my best to find them,” he says. “I know you miss them.”

“Wait!” Chilchuck cries, as Laios stands up and leaves. Ugh. That wasn’t what he meant. Laios’ reaction meant that he didn’t know where they were. He hopes Senshi and Izutsumi were safe. And somewhere far, far away from this mess.

-

Time passes. Chilchuck counts seconds when he gets bored. He’s sure he could ask for a book or whatever and Laios would very happily provide. But he doesn’t want anything from that demon.

He’s hasn’t been touching the food. It’s surely conjured by the demon. It’s smells delicious, and makes his stomach growl and mouth water. But he doesn’t want it. He won’t. His stomach can ache all it wants. Let him rot away here, if this is what it has come to. But no, a small voice in his head whispers, he has to live. He has to see his daughters. He needs to know Senshi and Izutsumi are safe and well.

And Laios wouldn’t let him die. This is a dungeon after all. He’d probably just revive him if he died of starvation.

Chilchuck hurls the plate of food against the wall. He hates it here.

-

Laios returns. Chilchuck doesn’t know what time it is, doesn’t know if it’s day or night anymore, even though he has a window. Now with bars on it, like a jail cell.

“I’d remove them if I didn’t think you’d jump out again,” Laios had said. Chilchuck scoffed. “You’re a danger to yourself. I’m concerned for your safety.”

“Concerned,” he drawled. “Is that what this is?” He gestured to the chain on his ankle.

“Yes,” Laios said all too easily.

There is no sky outside his window. Or, well, there kind of is. But Chilchuck knows it’s a false one. There is a sun most of the time. A moon when Chilchuck is sure Laios suddenly remembers that it probably should have been night at some point. Laios never did keep the best track of things like that.
“Chil,” Laios says. Chilchuck wants to strangle him. Or kiss him. If it might make him break out of the demon’s grasp and return to his normal self. “You haven’t been eating.”

Chilchuck doesn’t answer. There’s no point. There’s no point in conversing with this Laios. He wants him back. He wants the other, the past, he wants that Laios back.

“Chil,” Laios says. And gods, it sounds so much like him. That tone, the gentle concern in his voice. Chilchuck shuts his eyes and prays. “Please talk to me.” He can’t physically see him, but he knows that face Laios is making. The dejected, puppy-like, sad face. He can’t open his eyes. If he does… If he does, he doesn’t know what he might do or say. And that scares him.

The door clicks shut. Laios leaves.

-

The lion visits him precisely once.

“Hello, Chilchuck Tims,” it says. Chilchuck doesn’t respond to it either. “It pains me, and Laios, to see you like this. How can we help?” The lion paces around the room. It jumps on the bed and curls up beside him, not too unlike that of a real housecat would (like how Izutsumi would).

“This place could be so much nicer,” the lion says, humming slightly. A thick, plush carpet appears on the floor.

“I don’t want anything from you,” Chilchuck says. “Go away.”

The lion barks a laugh. “Everyone wants something,” he says. Its grin is all teeth in a way only carnivores could manage.

That damned demon. Chilchuck grits his teeth. He has to somehow make Laios understand that it’s poisoning his mind. Senshi and Izutsumi are counting on him. The world is probably counting on him, if what he saw last was any indication.

In a desperate move, he springs up and lunges for the lion’s throat.

It doesn’t work. Of course it doesn’t. The lion vanishes and reappears on the other side of the room. It stares at him and tilts its head.

“Would killing me make you feel better?” it asks. Yes, Chilchuck thinks. It purrs and rubs against his knees. The foul cat is right there, within Chilchuck’s reach. And yet Chilchuck knows that choking it wouldn’t do a thing. After all, there is no killing a concept. Not with your bare hands, at least.

“I want…” Chilchuck begins to say. The lion leans forward. His eyes glint in the light.

Chilchuck wants. He wants to go back in time. He wants to leave this place. He wants Laios to not wear that godawful cape and go back to smiling and talking paragraphs into Chilchuck’s ears. He wants to see his daughters. He wants and he wants and it consumes him the same way it has Marcille and Laios.

Chilchuck is kept in a warm room, with plenty of food, and a comfortable bed. A gilded cage, where he could want for nothing. All the books, treasure, tools he could want could be conjured in a blink of an eye. There is nothing Chilchuck could want.

“Nothing,” he says.

The lion vanishes.

-

Sometimes he sees Marcille out his window, or hurrying past his door (when did he start thinking of this place as his, anyways?). She looks more bedraggled each time he sees her. Chilchuck wouldn’t be surprised if Laios was making her do all the hard work running the dungeon and spending all his time creating new monsters.

Sometimes he sees Falin. Or what must be left of Falin. She is decidedly still a chimera. Unless Laios is keeping around a look alike that wears his sister’s face (although, even now, Chilchuck doesn’t think he’d do that. God help him if he dies and Laios parades around a copy of his deceased corpse). From afar, he can’t really tell if Falin, the girl who would smile so warmly even at ghosts, is still in there or not.

Sometimes he sees her with Marcille. Falin, now being so massive, that she has to kneel down on her front legs to have her human head on a somewhat equal height with Marcille’s. Chilchuck wonders if they’re conversing, or if Marcille is only speaking to her. Does Falin understand? Does she know what they have all done for her?

Falin spreads her wings and takes off in a roaring gust of wind that reaches even Chilchuck’s window. How nice, he thinks. How nice it must be to have the skies beneath your command.

He too, wishes he could fly away from here.

-

“You desire him, do you not?” the winged lion says.

“Hm?” Laios says.

“The half-foot.”

“Oh, Chil.” Of course he does. It’s as simple as breathing. All these desires, all these things he’s wanted, now suddenly within his grasp. He only wishes he could make Chil understand.

“If you desire him, then you can have him,” the winged lion says.

“It’s not that easy,” he says.

The winged lion chuckles. “Of course it is! Now that you’re the dungeon master, you can have anything.”

“I suppose so,” Laios says, “But then it wouldn’t be Chil.” The winged lion pauses.

“Is that the matter?”

“You don’t understand.”

“… No, I suppose I don’t.”

-

Chilchuck blinks and—

 Suddenly he’s on his knees before Laios, mouth slightly open, staring up at him. And when the fuck did that happen? He should get up. Shout. Kick him in the balls. But there’s an invisible force pressuring him down. He can’t move. He can’t breathe.

Then it’s gone. Laios’ face is dark, but he’s not looking at him. He’s looking at the lion. Its shadow slinking around Laios’ ankles. “Don’t do that again,” Laios says.

“My apologies,” the lion says. “I only wanted to please you.” Laios doesn’t respond to that, instead kneeling down and offering Chilchuck a hand to stand.

Chilchuck swats it away. He stands on his own, ignoring the way Laios’ eyes trail down his figure. “Are you okay?” Laios asks.

“What do you think?” he snarls. Laios looks hurt, and god, Chilchuck hates that look on his face. Hates how he’s trapped here. Hates the fact that he still loves him even now.

Laios leaves. Chilchuck misses him when he goes.

(But he doesn’t really miss him, does he? He misses the Laios that talked of nothing but monsters and bit into a raw parasite. He ignores the niggling voice inside that asks if Laios is really even all that different now.)

-

The castle breaks into pieces. Must be Marcille’s doing. Chilchuck wasn’t even aware it was a castle. His room gets levitated and put in some sort of forest area, and then expanded into a full cottage. It’s no longer just a bedroom. He now has range of a kitchen and a small dining area.

The chain remains.

“Do you like it?” Laios asks. Chilchuck supposes it’s nice. And Laios is staring at him way too expectantly for someone who is essentially able to do anything he wants to him. And that’s the kicker, isn’t it? After last time, he’s certain that Laios has some sort of desire for him. Whether it’s only carnal or driven out of a curiosity of other races, he doesn’t know. But Laios could easily overpower him, even without the dungeon master’s powers. And yet he doesn’t. And yet he builds him a home and dares to ask if he likes it.

“It’s fine,” he grumbles.

Laios absolutely beams.

-

Chilchuck’s never been much of a cook. He can manage, but he’s no Senshi. He misses the dwarf and his meals, and his simple way of viewing things. Everything now was too complicated. And it’s all Laios’ fault.

The kitchen was magically kept well stocked of a small variety of vegetables, fruits, and meats. Chilchuck opts to make a soup, since that’s the simplest thing he can think of. He chucks a bunch of vegetables and meat into a bowl and lets it cook itself.

It tastes of nothing. He thinks of Senshi, and the fact that he believed that love could make a meal taste better. Chilchuck had laughed at him at the time. Maybe he was right, on some level.

-

Chilchuck awakes to the sound of people outside his door. He wanders out to the kitchen area, which is by the door. He can’t say he’s not curious who these people are who managed to get through Laios’ (although more likely Marcille’s) defenses.

“The security on this dungeon was insane.”

“Didn’t the elves send like an army to try and break in?”

They snicker. “And we got through but they didn’t?”

“Wonder what kinda treasure will in here.”

“I’m betting gold.”

“No way. Some ancient magic artifact for sure. Something forbidden.”

“Wanna bet?”

“Bet.”

The door slams open. Chilchuck stares at the adventurers. They stare back. A tall-man. A mage. A dwarf. It’s so familiar looking an ache begins to build inside of Chilchuck’s chest.

“Aw, it’s just a normal house,” the tall-man says, clearly disappointed in the lack of treasure inside Chilchuck’s cottage.

“So the dungeon master’s a pervert then,” the mage mutters.

“I’m pretty sure he’s a half-foot, not a child,” the dwarf says.

“You’re right,” Chilchuck says to the dwarf, “I’m a half-foot.”

“Great. At least the dungeon master’s not a pedophile then.”

“Are you the dungeon master?” the tall man asks.

“Clearly not.” The mage gestures towards the chain on his ankle. “Some sort of prisoner?” She shudders. “A slave?” Uh. How best to describe his situation. A bit of neither. A bit of both.

“Did you kill Laios?” he asks.

“Laios?” the tall man says. “Who’s that?”
“He’s a tall-man. Blonde. Wears armor. He’s the dungeon master,” Chilchuck says. “What about Marcille?”

“… Who?”

“A blonde elf mage.” Though seriously, if they didn’t run into Laios or Marcille, then how’d they get here?

“Uh, no we didn’t see them,” the mage says. “Just a lot of monsters. Like. A lot.” Typical Laios. The mage aims her staff at his ankle. “Stay still.”

But before she can fire, her head explodes. The dwarf whirls around, axe ready, but some sort of shadowy wolf sweeps into the room and tears him apart. Chilchuck can see now why the lion chose that outfit for Laios. It really is imposing.

The tall man yells in rage and charges at Laios. Laios, who barely flinches as he decapitates him with one easy sweep of his sword.

Laios wipes his sword and sheathes it. There’s a splatter of blood on his cheek. Chilchuck hadn’t ever seen him look so… So casual with murdering people. “Chil?” Laios says. “Are you alright?”

“Laios. You—you—” He doesn’t even know what to say. Laios, Laios. Laios would have never done that before. Or maybe he would, and Chilchuck didn’t know him as well as he thought he did. What happens to him when Laios loses interest in him? Will he tear him apart like he did those poor adventurers?

Laios calls his name, but he doesn’t hear.

-

“He’s panicking,” the lion says. The lion licks his lips. “All this blood.”

“I shouldn’t have done this in front of him,” Laios says.

The lion nods. “But there’s an easy fix.” Laios frowns.

“There is?”

“If you wish it, there is.”

-

Chilchuck blinks. He’s standing in the kitchen. Ah. Laios is here. There’s blood all over him.

“Laios?” he says. “You’ve got blood on you. Are you hurt?”

“Chil,” Laios says. Chilchuck tilts his head, waiting for Laios to continue, but he never does.

“Yes?” he says.

Laios stumbles away from him. Then flees. “Wait! Laios!” Chilchuck calls after him. He tries to follow him, but the chain stops him short of the door. What was that all about?

-

Laios returns later, immeasurably guilty about something Chilchuck doesn’t understand. “I’m sorry,” he mumbles, over and over, kneeling at Chilchuck’s feet. Chilchuck would almost think it ironic. The all-powerful dungeon master, brought to his knees in front of the half-foot prisoner he keeps chained inside a cottage.

“I don’t know why you’re apologizing,” Chilchuck says. For chaining him here? For forcing him to stay? For taking up the mantle of the dungeon master? There are numerous things Laios has done that Chilchuck hasn’t agreed with.

Laios sits up a little. With a shaky hand, he reaches out and tentatively pets Chilchuck’s hair. And Chilchuck allows him. Because Laios is still his friend, even dressed in demonic garb, and he’s upset and in need of comfort. And if he desires to pet Chilchuck to feel better, then fine. But only this once.

“Laios…” he says.

“I’m sorry.” Laios snatches his hand back as if burned. “I shouldn’t have…”

“Shouldn’t have what?”

“Chil,” Laios says. “Chil.”

“… That’s my name, yes,” Chilchuck says.

“Chil,” Laios repeats. “Can I, can I—please.” Laios reaches out a shaking hand for his face. And Chilchuck knows what he wants. Knew since that once incident. Chilchuck thinks he must be at least some level of crazy to accept.

He closes the distance between them anyways. He’s pretty sure this is Laios’ first kiss. Not just because he gives off immense virgin vibes, but he just can’t imagine Laios kissing anybody else. Chilchuck doesn’t know whether it’s possessiveness, or his lack desire to of imagine it so.

“Chil,” Laios says again. He’s still on his knees before him. And wearing a full suit of armor. Chilchuck reaches for one of the straps.

“Um, Chil!” Laios says, starting to flush a little. Chilchuck thinks it’s endearing. Underneath the dark, scary, armor he’s still almost that stupid little nerd that just desperately wanted to save his sister.

“Are you a virgin, Laios?” Chilchuck couldn’t resist asking. Because he knew the way Laios would react.

Laios turns so red Chilchuck thinks he might burst. “Chil,” he says. “I—um. Yeah.” Chilchuck smiles.
“Did you think of this?” he asks.

“Chil,” Laios whines as his hand brushes against the front of his pants. And, yep. He’s hard.

They stumble into the bedroom. The chain catches around the bed post and he goes flying into Laios’ chest. At least he didn’t smack his face onto the chest plate, since long removed and ditched on the floor in the kitchen area.

It is a harsh reminder that this, probably wouldn’t last. That at the end, Chilchuck is still a prisoner and Laios has a dungeon to run. All the better to make it good then. He pushes those thoughts away.

He makes quick work of the rest of their clothes. Chilchuck pointedly aims for casual, ignoring the way Laios almost reverently stares at his body. His hands hover around his hips, as if waiting for permission.

“You can touch me,” he says.

Laios swallows. Then rests one hand on him. Then the other. Gently, like one might a startled dog.

“Are you going to…” Laios gestures towards his dick. Then towards his ass.

Chilchuck raises an eyebrow. “I can, if you want me to,” he says.

“No! I mean, if you want to. I just… The other way,” Laios looks away. Chilchuck waits for him to finish. “I didn’t think it would um.”
“… Fit?” Chilchuck says.

“Yes,” Laios squeaks.

Chilchuck laughs. “I’m not that delicate,” he says.

“I know! I know,” Laios says. He buries his face in his hands, awfully embarrassed for a man who is about to have sex. “I just. Um.”

“Need a moment?” Chilchuck teases. He traces a pattern on Laios’ stomach with his finger. He likes the way the muscles tense and twitch underneath at every touch. It almost feels as if he could be the dungeon master here.

“No, I’m—I just. Is this okay?” Laios says, suddenly serious.

“Laios,” Chilchuck growls.

“I’m serious! I mean. I can’t let you leave, but this. This isn’t required, you know that, right?”

“Laios,” Chilchuck says again. “If you can’t even say the word ’sex’ how do you expect to put your dick in me?”

Laios takes a very deep breath. “I would like,” he says, perfectly even, “very much to have sex with you Chilchuck.” Gods. Laios is going to make him say it to. Fuck his life. Or, it would actually be better if Laios would just fuck him.

“Laios,” Chilchuck says. “Please just fuck me already.”

-

Laios wakes him up in the morning, all doe eyed and weepy. “Chil?” Laios says. “You didn’t regret this, right?” And Chilchuck simply didn’t have it in him to tell him no (because that would be a lie. He didn’t regret it. Not at all. He just wished things were slightly different).

“No,” he says.

Laios sighs happily. “That’s good,” he says. “I love you a lot, Chil.” The sudden confession makes him cold.

“Laios…” he murmurs. What should he say? It would be easy to lay here with him and say it back, pretend that everything outside this room is normal. That Chilchuck isn’t literally chained to the bed and they haven’t made enemies of the world. That Laios isn’t going to get up out of bed and leave him here, waiting in this stupid cottage.

“It’s okay,” Laios says, stupidly understanding. “You don’t have to say it back.”

“But—”
“I, uh. Yeah,” Laios says lamely. He sits up. Chilchuck misses his warmth already. He thought he had a few more moments to pretend this was reality at least.

“Laios, wait—”

Laios runs out on him. He stares, disbelieving. Then curls up in the bed they just had sex in and wills himself not to cry.

-

The thing is, Laios wouldn’t do casual sex. It’s just simply not like him. Laios does things wholeheartedly or not at all. Chilchuck would hunt him down and shake him until he understood that he also cares (loves) him the same amount, but he was literally stuck here.

It’s worse that he’s pacing the kitchen area when Marcille of all people comes in. He’s expecting it to be Laios, because that’s the only person he sees these days.

“Laios!” he says.

“Hi, Chilchuck,” Marcille says.

“Oh,” Chilchuck stares. She’s still wearing that black dress. He doesn’t know what to say to her anymore. Does she regret this? Why is she helping Laios with this twisted fantasy of a life he’s attempting? Would Falin ever be human again? Or are all four of them going to be stuck down here, forever something a little human, a little monstrous.

“Mind if I sit?” she says wearily. Chilchuck doesn’t stop her (though not like he really could) as she sits down on one of the half-foot sized chairs. Her rear is so close to the ground she’s basically squatting, but Marcille doesn’t even seem to notice.

“You look… tired,” he says.

“Thanks,” Marcille says dryly.

“What are you doing here?” Chilchuck asks. No point in beating around it.

“What, I can’t visit an old friend?” she says.

“Are we even friends anymore?” Friends? When was the last time he spoke her? Chilchuck doesn’t even know how long he’s been imprisoned here.
Marcille dares to look hurt at that. “Chilchuck, we—”
“Just, tell me what you want,” he says.

Marcille bites her lip. “I thought you were starting to get better,” she says. Get better. As if not leaning into their twisted delusion that all of this is okay is some sort of disease he has. He just rattles the chain around his ankle pointedly.

“Laios would remove that if he didn’t think you’d go out and get yourself killed by the first monster you see,” Marcille says.

“So it’s okay for him to just keep me cooped up in here like some pet?” Chilchuck seethes.
“No! I mean, he just wants to keep you safe—”
“Marcille, do you even know what’s going on in the real world?”

Marcille stands. The chair falls backwards. She towers over him. “I never wanted to hurt anybody,” she says. “Laios doesn’t want to hurt anybody.”

“That doesn’t change the fact that you have,” he bites back.

Marcille slams the door on her way out.

-

Laios doesn’t come. Chilchuck waits for him, like a dog, by the door. His whole existence now revolves around a man who keeps him chained inside a house like a slave. It’s pathetic. He hates it. He hates how he can’t stop thinking of him. Hates how he wonders if he’s doing okay, if he’s eating. Hates how Marcille and Laios has changed so much and yet so little. That he can do nothing to change their minds or influence them in any way.

… What is he so eager to get back to anyways? His miserable existence outside? Scraping together money week by week in hopes of forestalling the starvation of himself or his family? A family that isn’t really one anymore, or at least to him. He gave that up when he spent more time in dungeons than in the house.

At least Laios loves him.

-

Laios must have forgotten how good Chilchuck’s hearing is, because even though he teleports (he must have, Chilchuck wouldn’t be able to sleep through him opening the creaky door) inside the cottage, he still wakes.

Chilchuck wakes to him standing in the corner of his room like some sleep paralysis demon. Only he’s not scared because he knows it’s Laios, and not a monster. Because Laios, despite his love for monsters, knows enough to not trust them. And he wouldn’t let one within this house anyways.

“… Laios,” he says. Laios doesn’t move. Does he seriously think if he stands still enough Chilchuck won’t see him? “I know that’s you, Laios.” Chilchuck sits up. “Are you seriously going to avoid me for however long you plan on keeping me here?”

Laios flinches. “… I was embarrassed,” he says.

“Because you said you loved me?” Chilchuck says. “You didn’t give me a chance to answer.”

“That was the point,” Laios says, sounding somewhat miserable.

“Could you make some light?” he asks. Laios obliges. A glowing orb appears in his hand. It reminds him of Marcille and days spent huddled around a campfire.

“I’m sorry for leaving you,” Laios says. “I didn’t mean to abandon you.”

“… I don’t exactly have a large social circle right now,” Chilchuck says. Laios ducks his head.

“Do you want to leave?” Laios asks.

“Would you let me?” Chilchuck says back. Laios is quiet for a moment. Is he seriously thinking about letting him go? Chilchuck suddenly doesn’t know how to feel.

“I want you to be happy,” Laios says, like it’s that easy.

In a sudden flash of honesty, Chilchuck finds himself saying, “I don’t know what would be left for me up on the surface.” Laios is quiet for a moment. Chilchuck can see the gears in his head turning.

“We have everything we want here,” he says. Chilchuck hates how it sounds like a line the lion fed him.

-

Laios removes the chain. Chilchuck could run now. He’s pretty sure the door is unlocked, though he hasn’t tried it. It’s been so long since he’s been outside of these four walls he isn’t sure how he’ll cope. And he’s pretty sure there are monsters in the forest outside. So he stays.

Laios is quite obviously, extremely pleased by this. He sits and creates miniature versions of monsters for him one day. Live ones. One is a red dragon. It breathes fire that doesn’t burn him but can light the stove.

“Do you have a favorite monster, Laios?” Chilchuck asks while the mini wyvern flies circles above his head.

Laios’ face brightens. “I like chimera types. Monsters that blend different animals or beings together are really cool! It’s only by a feat of nature that they would be able to work, and that way the different creatures are joined work in harmony instead of—”

Laios rambles at length about his ideal creature. He even shows him a drawing of it. Chilchuck thinks it looks a little silly, but loves how happy it makes Laios.

-

Laios turns the dragons into wooden versions of themselves that wouldn’t move anymore after one of the mini dragons bites Chilchuck and makes him bleed. Laios almost destroys them, but Chilchuck manages him to convince him not to. They were quite cute at this size. After all, it was barely more than a paper cut. But the sight of his blood seems to draw something darker out in Laios. It reminds Chilchuck of the first days he spent here, cowering in fear of what became of his friends. He doesn’t like it.

Laios heals the cut. There’s no itchiness, like Marcille’s healing. Chilchuck wonders if he asked Falin for tips. If Falin could even speak now.

“All better,” Laios declares.

“It really wasn’t a big deal,” Chilchuck says.

“But the dragon hurt you,” Laios says, “And I was the one who made them here.”

“I enjoyed them too, okay?” Chilchuck says. “Don’t beat yourself up about it.” Laios still slinks over, not unlike a scolded dog,

Laios, ever so tenderly, encases Chilchuck’s hand in his. “I don’t want to hurt you,” Laios reiterates.

“I know,” Chilchuck says. “You’ve said so.”
Laios shakes his head and releases Chilchuck’s hand. “There’s—I’m sorry, Chil. I might be gone for a while. I hoped these would keep you company, but I don’t want to risk them hurting you while I’m gone.”
“Gone?” Chilchuck says, alarm creeping up on him.

“This won’t be for long,” Laios says. The chain reappears around his ankle. “I’m sorry,“ Laios says, “this is only temporary, I promise.” Laios steps away before Chilchuck can process what’s happening.

“Laios?” Chilchuck says desperately. He grabs for his cloak but misses by an inch. He has an awful feeling in his gut. “What’s going on?”

“I need you to stay here,” Laios says firmly. “You’ll be safe here. And I need you to be safe right now.”

A screech pierces through the walls. Chilchuck clamps one hand over his ear and winces. Was that Falin? The ground trembles minutely, then stops.

“Wait, Laios—”
Laios turns heel and leaves without saying anything else. No goodbye. No last love you’s. Chilchuck sometimes likes to think if Laios had turned to say something else, he would’ve been too tempted to stay where it was safe. That things wouldn’t have turned out the way they did.

-

Chilchuck waits for Laios to return. He waits, and he waits, until he falls asleep sitting at the table by the door.

-

Chilchuck is awoke by the sound of his door slamming open.
“Chilchuck?” a voice calls that he hasn’t heard in a long, long time.

“Wha…?” he groans, still disoriented by sleep. Is that… Senshi? But it couldn’t possibly be.

“Chilchuck?” Yes, it’s definitely Senshi. But if Senshi is here, that means…

“Senshi?” he says.

Senshi seems as stunned as he is. “Yer here!” he says. There’s an axe in his hands. Bloody. Laios, he thinks mournfully.

“Did you…?” He can’t make himself say it. Despite what Laios has done he still doesn’t want him gone. Didn’t want him dead.

“Let’s get that off,” Senshi says.
The chain falls away. Chilchuck doesn’t know what to say to him. A strange mixture of relief, nostalgia, and fear for Laios and Marcille swirls in his stomach. Senshi helps him stand on shaky legs.

“Is he…” Chilchuck begins to say.

Senshi must mistake his nerves for fear of Laios, rather than for him, because his face darkens. “Aye, he’s gone. You’re safe now,” he says.
Chilchuck doesn’t know how he should feel. Happy? He can be free now, go back to his old life, whatever that means. Whatever might be left of it (likely nothing). Sad? Because even at the end of everything he still loved him. Even though maybe he shouldn’t have, maybe he should have stopped when the chain went around his ankle.

It's too late for any of that now.

“Let’s get going.” Senshi helps him walk even though he doesn’t need to. Chilchuck is a well-fed, well-kept prisoner. A canary in a golden cage. His legs shake as they walk, but not from malnutrition or from disuse.

They step through the return spell.

Chilchuck sees the real sky for the first time in a year. It looks the same as the one inside the dungeon. And yet he forgot how warm the sun was. There was a “sun” in the dungeon, but it didn’t produce any heat, just light. He’s forced to squint when they first step through. It’s much brighter than it ever was down there. How could it be so easy to forget something as significant as how the sun feels?

How easy would it be to forget Laios?

Chilchuck is sullen as an elf healer checks him over. He numbly answers the questions she asks. Have you been eating? Yes. Were you ever injured while there? Only briefly. And who healed you? … Laios did. Were you chained the whole time? … Yes. How did Laios treat you? No answer. Did you ever see Marcille? Yes. How would you describe her participation in the dungeon’s upkeep? I don’t know.

Eventually Senshi pries him away from the elves. “He’s in shock,” Senshi says. “Give him some room to breathe.” The elves leave him alone, evidently displeased by his lack of details.

There is one last quick check over by another elven mage and he is sent on his way.
Senshi is hesitant to leave him, but Chilchuck waves him away and insists he’ll be fine. That Senshi has nothing to worry about, because Chilchuck is unharmed.

-

He goes back home. Chilchuck is hoping that despite his long absence that nobody else has moved in. He’s proven right. The key turns, but the door needs a good shove to be pushed open. A cloud of dust puffs up as he steps inside.

It smells of disuse and emptiness.

He cleans. Nothing else to do with his time now. Chilchuck wonders if his daughters ever noticed he was gone. He should probably write to them.

He pauses midway through wiping down the table. Is this what he wants? To stay in a dusty old house all by himself for the remaining twenty or so years he has left? Is this all there is? After a year spent solely inside a dungeon (maybe two, if you include the adventure leading up to it), he’s just supposed to return to life and pretend everything is the same?

-

Chilchuck sells the house. He packs the few things he still cares enough about to bring with him (the wooden dragon from Laios, a journal, clothes) and leaves. He runs into Izutsumi on his way to the docks.

“You’re not going to stay here?” Izutsumi asks, even though she likely knows the answer.
“No,” Chilchuck says. “I can’t.” Too many memories. Bad and good. Most of them now long buried underground, never to be re-opened. But he needs a fresh start. Somewhere he can move on from all this. From Laios.

“Me neither,” Izutsumi says. They don’t say goodbye. Chilchuck hopes to see her again, but he knows that he won’t.

-

Chilchuck leaves the island. He runs and he doesn’t look back, doesn’t stop to think, because if he does than he will be swarmed and overrun by his regrets. What could he have done differently? If he had said something just slightly different, would it all still have ended this way? He can’t let himself think like that though, because it’s all in the past now. And it cannot be changed.

The thoughts still haunt him. Laios still haunts him. He sees him in his dreams. Often times in his demon king regalia. More often he appears dressed as he was before, in simple and plain armor. Marcille too. Back when things weren’t so complicated and they were simply on a mission to find a red dragon.

He is mourning the loss of people who were already gone. That Laios and that Marcille had long disappeared. Not like death, where it is sudden and final. A slow, gradual loss that is hard to notice until you turn around and the person behind you isn’t there anymore.

Chilchuck is nobody now. He has nobody waiting for him topside of the dungeon. Everyone in his life has already moved on; either dead or out of reach. He could become anyone, do anything he wanted.

He finds the taste of freedom to be bitter. Sometimes he wakes and feels the phantom presence of a weight around his ankle. He sees things and is reminded of people who no longer exist. Conversations and tidbits of information shared in his head with ghosts.

He never did learn what happened to Laios, Marcille, and Falin in the end. Maybe partially because he didn’t want to hear those definite words, “they’re dead” coming from Senshi’s mouth. Maybe because he didn’t hear those words, he can pretend that they’re all still down in the dungeon, playing house and cooking food for those they love.