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———4c———
It was weird, sneaking around a place he once called home, somewhere he didn’t consider it wouldn’t. His heart had dropped to the floor when told that Nom was yelling at Gracie about Katie. He knew the truth would come out eventually…he just wished it could be on his terms…in a way that wouldn’t have led to this.
***
He had just grabbed his stuff from his room. He decided to walk through the kingdom one last time. Strolling down the path, past the blacksmiths, down the path towards the gate when he heard a smash. It came from a new building on 4c’s left.
Curiosity killed the cat but the truth always brought it back to life.
His thoughts warred in his head; on one hand if he was caught he could be killed again or worse imprisoned, on the other hand he wanted to know what happened. The door knob glistened, inviting him in.
4c opened the door. He couldn’t help it. Creeping through the new building he looked around. It looked almost complete, like as if the construction was finished but nothing had been put in.
Short yelps echoed through the hall as if the person was trying to stifle the pain. It wasn’t Nom; the slime had heard him in pain before. It was familiar though, but he couldn’t put a finger on it.
***
The door was locked. Strange, was there and attack of some kind? He cracked his non-existent knuckles and started to unpick the lock; if not for getting in then just for fun.
The door creaked open, opening up to a room filled with stuff. One bed was in the left corner with chests against the wall, the other side mirrored it almost exactly. A bottle lays smashed on the ground. The room was sterile, devoid of life.
Except for the fact that there was someone lying on a bed.
Who was that? Did the Blue Kingdom get a new recruit that fast? Was he replacing 4c? In the corner lay a man dressed in cream coloured shirt and pants, hair a curly mess atop his head, plastered on his forehead from sweat. Dried blood on his chin and mouth. An old scar drew across his face, from the top right to bottom left, grazing his eye and shooting through his eyebrow. Ouch.
A cry threw 4c out of his thoughts as the man writhed in pain. He should not be here. This wasn’t his home anymore. How could he help? What would Scott do? Healing potions? And that healing circle thing…he winced, 4c was a rogue; he couldn’t do any of those sorts of spells.
The slime rummaged through the chests on the opposite side of the room. Gold, water, carrots, wheat, healing potions, pork. Oops, 4c backpedaled, grabbing the potions-and some water just in case- and headed towards the mysterious man.
He froze. His eyebrows would’ve shot off his head-if he had any. Because there tucked between the bed and back wall was the golden armour the slime had begun to recognise as Owain. How was he so unobservant? But that would mean that…Owain was the guy in the bed…. 4c had barely ever heard the man wince let alone whatever this was. The guy’s pain tolerance was the highest in the kingdom, whatever was bothering him wasn’t something to mess around with.
Taking a deep breath he approached the lion knight, potion in hand. Would Owain even want his help?
———Owain———
The knight gasped as pain enveloped him, agony tearing through each limb in his body. Every now and again he coughed up blood, spilling it on his clothes, he would have to clean that up later.
In a fit of pain he had accidentally knocked over a bottle of water he had tried to drink. His mouth tasted metallic, water streaming down his face.
He gasped as the pain doubled, pathetic, clutching his stomach. He had taken his armour off in a fit, feeling like he was going to go insane. The walls of the armour pressing in on his face and body as he tried to breathe. His lungs had felt like they were collapsing.
Owain hadn’t retained the energy to get it back on. Stupid knight. There was a reason why he wasn’t in Camelot.
A figure danced in his vision, he couldn’t have anyone see him like this. All he could see was that they were blue. Shan? No she would be asleep. She didn’t care for him. Was that…4c? Why was he here? He was banished. Why did he care? The slime stood above him, holding a potion of some kind. Faintly Owain registered the rogue giving him something to drink. Cracked lips brushing against the bottle, he swallowed the potion.
Oh bliss. Owain moaned in relief, the potion numbing the pain, for now. Pathetic, he didn’t deserve to be relieved of the pain, he had been suffering for hours, trying to wait out the pain. Usually if it was too much he would just stay home for the day, trying to recover without catching the attention of anyone from Blue Kingdom.
What was he going to do in the morning? There was no way he could put his armour back on himself. As if sensing his thoughts 4c spoke up, “do you need help putting your armour back on? The knight nodded wearily, “that would be of great help.” He croaked.
***
Throughout the night 4c helped the lethargic lion into his armour. He also cleaned the blood off his face with a spare cloth; something Owain was very thankful for.
“Could you…stay with me?” Owain asked faintly, “just in case it happens again.” In case it gets so bad that he can’t move, that he is paralysed. 4c looked towards the door, conflicted. Looking back at the knight he nodded. A smile flicked on the knight’s face-not that 4c could see.
“Thank you Owain.” The lion cocked his head confused. “For protecting me from the rogue god, even when it seemed like it wouldn’t work. You don’t have to pay my faults anymore.” The slime smiled softy. How did he know? Owain never told him that, and he knew that just like he knew the sky was blue.
“I overheard you walking through the kingdom, talking to you thoughts.” The slime explained, seeing the expression on the knight’s face. Owain opened his mouth “I won’t tell anyone,” 4c hurriedly said, taking the words out of the lion’s mouth. “I’ve already broken someone’s trust for being involved in things I shouldn’t, I’m not about to ruin another.” He muttered. What was that about? Was he talking about him and Nom?
***
When he woke up the rogue was nowhere to be seen, as if he was never there in the first place.