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Scott Springwell's house in the Blue Kingdom had changed over time. In the beginning, he'd had a comfortable kitchen, a simple bedroom, and plenty of space for his flowers to grow. It hadn't felt like home, but it was somewhere that he could be safe.
But as tensions grew with the Red Kingdom and the dangers of the Dungeon had become clear, his house had slowly become a place to prepare. Suddenly, there was a helmet and chestplate on an armor stand, brewing stands on the counter, and several swords on his kitchen table, waiting to be enchanted. Scott ended every day exhausted, collapsing into bed. But he did his very best in service of the Blue Kingdom. Not that there was much else he could do.
After the final battle with the Creaking King, his house shifted once more.
He was able to get rid of the weaponry and armor stands, thankfully. Scott's flower garden, which had been relegated to a quick chore in the early mornings, became his passion again. And he no longer had to worry about fighting the Red Kingdom or tackling the Dungeon, thankfully.
But there was a new addition to his house, one that he'd hoped never to build. A new wing, far away from his greenhouse, shrouded in darkness with a door that locked from the outside. The only people with keys were Katie, and Scott himself.
As he unlocked the door for the day, Scott tried his best to put on a smile, even though he knew that Nom wouldn't notice the difference.
"Good morning!" he said, adjusting the basket of potions balanced on his hip. "I've got a new batch for you to try. How are you feeling?"
The figure in the room hardly stirred at his arrival. He never responded, but Scott still made the effort to talk to him, just in case the man inside could still hear.
"I've been testing some new herbs," Scott continued, his tone light. "Kitty brought some new torchflower blossoms back from their travels, and I've been propagating them in my garden. I've found some old texts that suggest they may have healing properties, so I brewed them with some glowstone dust. But first, I'll need to make sure you're safe. It's just the usual potions, weakness and slowness, alright? Before yesterday's wear off."
There was a sharp, grating noise from the figure, like ancient wood scraping against stone. Scott hadn't heard Nom's real voice in a long, long time. He missed the sound of it.
"Alright, slowness first." Scott uncapped the first bottle and gently poured it onto the figure curled in the corner. "Owain stopped by yesterday. He's always willing to say hello, which I greatly appreciate. Does that feel alright? Any discomfort?"
He'd tried to make this room comfortable, setting up a bed and putting fresh flowers into a vase on the side table. It didn't change much. Nom rarely moved, and the room was so dark that it was difficult to see, anyways. Scott had learned that creakings didn't much like the light.
"And Graecie's signed a few new treaties with the Red Kingdom. It's not a peace agreement, but now we've got clearly-defined borders, at least," Scott added, capping the bottle and tucking it back into his basket. "Queen Bek is a very just ruler, I'd say. If only she'd been in charge from the beginning."
Distantly, Scott wondered if the sensation of these potion taking hold reminded Nom of that final day. He hoped that it didn't bring back any painful memories. But he also had no proof that the figure in front of him could remember anything at all.
After Graecie had slain Sausage and the Creaking King had been properly, finally, defeated, they'd all searched for him. Surely this meant that Nom was free, Scott had thought. With the Creaking King vanquished, of course his friend would shed the rough bark and vines he'd been growing and return to normal.
But when they'd found Nom, he was stumbling, clutching his chest. His armor had begun to crack and fall to pieces around him, unable to withstand the warping of his human form. When Katie had ran up to her brother, begging him to hold on, Nom had only managed to get a few sentences out.
"I can't- it's my soul, he's trying to take me with him-" and he'd groaned in pain, losing his balance and falling to his knees. "I don't know how much time I have left- back up. Get away from me. I don't want to hurt you."
Scott had been frozen in place, unable to look away as the knight continued to transform. Katie had screamed at the mages to do something, but El and Cam had looked baffled. What on earth could be done to help?
"I'm sorry-" Nom had taken his sister's hands and squeezed them. "For everything- you mean the world to me. I'm sorry I- I can't hold on much longer, please-"
And then he was screaming, and suddenly, Red and Blue Kingdom were running to subdue him together, because at this point there was not a man in front of them but a beast, stiff and wooden and dangerous. If they weren't careful, he might hurt someone. None of them had any idea if Nom was in control anymore, and they couldn't risk being wrong.
It was Scott who had grabbed a weakness potion, he who had pressed the bottle to Nom's lips and told him to drink. Katie had begged him to stop, unaware of what he was doing, but the last coherent thing he'd seem Nom do was smile at him, grateful for this final act of kindness, before his eyes glazed over and his face went blank.
The figure still looked like Nom, distantly. Still that same jawline, glasses permanently set on his nose, strongly built like a knight should be. But his eyes were orange and his skin was stiff and wooden, unable to move in anything more than short bursts. Graecie and Owain had carried the creature that was once Nom back to the Blue Kingdom, where Scott had insisted on taking him in. He could find a cure, he assured them. He just needed some time.
That had been a year ago. 4c had visited once or twice after that final fight, but he couldn't bear to be in the same room as Nom for more than a few minutes. Katie visited sparingly, usually once or twice a month, but she always left crying. Mae, Owain, and Graecie were more frequent visitors, but they'd stopped trying to speak to Nom a long time ago. They just looked at him from the doorway, mournfully quiet.
It was Scott and Scott alone who spent every day with whatever Nom was now. He spoke to him, reapplied the potions that kept him docile and subdued, and tried new remedies every day. Even after months and months of failure after failure, Scott refused to give up hope.
He had to save Nom. If it took the rest of his life to find a cure, well, that was a sacrifice Scott was willing to make. Nom had given so much for them, after all. It was the least he could do.
And healing magic was fickle. Surely he'd find the cure eventually. It would just require time and effort.
But enough reminiscing. He had a job to do.
"Alright, here's my latest batch of healing potion," Scott explained, retrieving the newest bottle from his basket and crouching next to Nom's hunched frame. "I added in the stewed petals and leaves of the torchflower that Kitty found- well, not the exact one they brought, but one of the propagules I grew from the sample. It had quite a lovely aroma at first, but of course, brewing with glistening melon always makes it a bit sour. Still, it's worth a try."
Gently, Scott let the potion drip onto the figure's shoulder. The liquid quickly soaked into his bark-like skin, though as Scott watched carefully, he saw nothing change.
"Ah, well, we'll give that some time to take effect," he noted, trying to remain chipper. "Do you notice any changes? Feel any different?"
No response. As usual.
"This one might require some repeated dosages," Scott continued, though he was unable to keep the disappointment from seeping into his voice. He stood back up and grabbed his basket. "Can't give up on it just yet. Kitty was very proud to have found it, after all-"
A sharp knocking interrupted his one-sided conversation. For a second, Scott was stunned - he usually didn't have visitors this early in the morning, unless...
"Someone's come to visit," Scott told Nom, unable to keep himself from smiling. "Let me go greet her. Stay right here, okay?"
He didn't bother to close the door behind him, and set the basket onto the kitchen table without another thought. It was good to be cautious, yes, but Scott had rarely seen Nom move from that corner, and his potions were very effective. Besides, they had a very important guest.
It had to be Katie. She had always visited him in the mornings. All of the knights were early risers, but Katie in particular was an early bird, even without coffee or tea.
When Scott opened his front door to greet her, she seemed pleasant enough. Sometimes, when Katie knocked on his door, all Scott could do was step back and pretend to be occupied while she cried in Nom's room. Her visits were rare enough that he didn't insist on going in there with her like he did with the others. He knew that Nom would want to have some time alone with his sister, even if she was in tears. But this time, she seemed to have her spirits up. This was good.
"Sorry for dropping by unannounced," she began, sounding nervous. "I just- well, it's been a while, and I thought you might appreciate a visit."
He chuckled. "Of course. Come in."
There was a bit of clutter from his latest potion-making session on the counter, with several brewing stands always making new bottles of weakness and slowness potions. The mortar and pestle he'd used to crush the torchflower petals was still dirty, and there was a cold cup of tea next to it, forgotten in his efforts. But Scott wasn't worried about Katie noticing the mess. He knew she had enough on her mind.
"How've you been?" He asked, trying to make small talk. "Have you recruited any new knights?"
She nodded, not looking at the locked door. "4c and I have taken a few trips to neighboring kingdoms. And we visited Cherri and Apo in Soluna recently. They're doing lovely, of course, and have been providing plenty of aid... Bek- I mean, our Queen is very appreciative."
"I don't mind the lack of formalities. I call our beloved Queen by her first name all the time, and Graecie doesn't mind," Scott reminded her.
"Right, yes," Katie nodded. "I assume you've been keeping yourself busy?"
"Oh, just the usual. Kitty brought me a few new plants to try, but the first one doesn't seem to be effective. I'll give it a few repeat dosages, though," Scott sighed. "Owain has found some new healing books for me to search, and Mae promised that she'd keep her eye out for some more of those eyeblossoms... those seemed to at least invigorate him, and I thought if I combined them with some of my newer ingredients, I could-"
"Scott?"
He'd gotten so caught up in his explanation that he hadn't noticed the crestfallen look on her face.
"Sorry, I got a bit carried away," Scott muttered, ducking his head. "It's just, well... I don't do much else but think about my next potential cure these days."
"Of course, and I'm so grateful for that," she replied, brow furrowing. "I just... you know how hard it is to see him like this. When he started to transform, I could at least still hear his voice, even if I ended up avoiding his gaze. Now, it's just... well, do you think there's any use in me visiting anymore?"
"Well, I'm sure he'll be glad to see you-"
"But is he even in there?" she asked, her voice breaking. Leave it to Katie to cut right to the chase. Scott guessed that this question had been occupying her mind since her last visit. "Have you ever seen him do something that- that made you think he's still with us?"
Scott opened his mouth to say yes, of course... and realized that he couldn't get her hopes up. Because in all the time he'd been housing Nom in that dark room, keeping him controlled with potions, and trying failed cure after failed cure... there had been nothing. No words, no movements, nothing. Just a blank wooden face and a creature that couldn't even move if Scott was looking at him.
"I have to keep trying, Katie," he said finally. "I can't give up on him. If I don't do everything I can to try to save him... well, I'd feel guilty forever. And where else would he go? At least here he's safe and looked after. And the man that's still in there... well, I bet he's glad to see familiar faces."
"I-"
"But I know it's hard, and I don't blame you. I'm just.. used to this." Scott sighed, stepping forward and putting a hand on her shoulder. "I'm glad you visit when you can. For him, and for me. But don't let it haunt you. He'd want you to live your life to the fullest."
Katie wiped the tears from her eyes, nodding. "I know, it's just... well, I miss him. I'm sure you do too."
"Every day," Scott insisted. "But he'd be so proud-"
The blow to his skull was completely unexpected, sending him crashing to the ground, head spinning. It took Scott a few seconds to shake himself from the daze, lifting a hand to his head and feeling the blood soaking his hair.
"Stop! Don't move! ...Scott, are you okay?"
He looked up to see Katie, staring directly at the creaking that was once her brother to force him still. She couldn't take her eyes off of the towering figure to see if Scott was alright, but the knight had drawn her sword, standing her ground with conviction.
"I'll be fine," he winced, blinking back tears. "How has he... he shouldn't be-"
Briefly, he glanced over to the table. In the basket was two empty potion bottles, but the weakness potion was still there, unused. Scott had gotten so wrapped up in reminiscing that he'd forgotten to administer the other dosage, and now the creaking was slow, but strong enough to strike.
"What do we do?" Katie asked, keeping a sword's distance between herself and her brother. "Why is he doing this? Has this happened before?"
"No, it's-" Scott managed to pull himself to his feet, feeling even more blood drip through his fingers. "I haven't applied the weakness potion. I just need to get over to the table..."
She glanced over at it instinctually, and the creaking struck, knocking Katie's sword out of her hand. She gasped in pain and grabbed her wrist, but stared directly at Nom once again, freezing him in place.
"Get it, please," she said through gritted teeth.
Scott couldn't move too quickly without getting lightheaded, but slowly, surely, he stumbled his way over to the kitchen table. The towering figure of the creaking that was once a friendly face stayed where he was, though it felt like those orange eyes were following Scott, tracking his every move.
"I hate seeing him like this," Katie whispered, cradling her wrist, which looked bent at an odd angle. "It's still his face, but everything else... how do you do it? How can you see him like this every day and not lose your mind?"
Scott picked up the weakness potion, the glass cold against his fingers. "I'm glad I can still see his face. It reminds me that he's still there, despite everything that's changed."
"My brother wouldn't do this," she insisted. "He could never hurt me or you. This isn't him, I'm sure of it... maybe he's gone, Scott. Maybe he died on that day, and the Creaking King left whatever this is to taunt us."
And Scott didn't have a response to this. All he could do was pause, unable to speak, feeling hollow.
"Scott?" Katie turned, and the second she took her eyes off of him, the creaking attacked once again. It knocked her off her feet, and she cried out in pain.
"Nom, stop!" Scott yelped. "Don't-"
And miraculously, the creaking seemed to pause. As Katie scrambled back upwards, the figure looming above her shifted back, no longer attacking. It almost seemed to be... shaking. As if something, or someone, was putting every ounce of effort into keeping the monster from attacking once again.
Scott threw the bottle, and glass shattered against the figure's chest. The weakness potion took effect immediately, and there was a slight exhale from Nom, as if he was sighing in relief.
"Help me get him back into his room," Scott winced, stepping forward. "He's not strong enough to attack any longer, and won't move if we keep looking at him."
Katie nodded, and together, they pushed the wooden figure back towards the darkness. Katie was only able to use one hand, and Scott had to make a conscious effort to ignore the pain in his head, but they were strong enough to get the creaking back through the door and close it behind him.
Both of them exhaled together, collapsing against the wall.
"He hesitated," Scott said aloud, after a minute of silence. "When I said his name. I think he heard it."
"You don't know that," Katie muttered. "It struck me. My brother would never-"
Her voice broke one again, and she sobbed, burying her face into her hands. It was like a year's worth of mourning had welled up all at once, and all Scott could do was wrap her in a hug, and then retrieve his spare healing potions. He handed her one, and poured a few drops of another onto a rag, pressing it against the bloody wound on his head.
It wasn't worth arguing with Katie. She'd said things like this before, albeit not quite as harsh, and had always returned to visit anyways. Instead, he helped wrap her wrist in a splint, gave her an extra potion for the road, and let her leave in silence. Once again, Katie the Brave had left Scott's house in tears. He sensed that he wouldn't see her again for a while.
Once she was gone, he walked back over to the door and opened it. Glancing in, he could see the light shining off of those orange eyes. The figure was curled back up in the corner once again, unmoving and inhuman.
"Maybe you're still in there," Scott whispered. "I think you are. And I'll find a cure. I just need to keep trying."
No response from Nom. As per the usual.
"I miss you, and I'm sorry. You don't deserve this. I know that you'd never hurt us."
It blinked at him, once.
"I'll be back tomorrow with another potion. If anyone can fix this, it's me. And I'll never give up on you."
And with that, Scott closed the door, locked it, and got back to work.