Work Text:
The death message pinged Cytharam on Wemmbu’s communicator. Said player laid dead in the snow, iridescent limbs sprawled out and armor dented and shattered.
The imp breathed out his mouth, chest heaving as he tightened his grip around Gambit. Adrenaline keeping his hair on end as he evened out his breath. Eyes wide- examining the corpse below him.
It started to crumble. Flesh melting in the snow till there was just trimmed armor and rich items laid across the soft pale snow.
One question buzzed inside Wemmbu’s head.
Why did you want Egg dead?
Why go through all this trouble?
No matter, right? The player was dead and left free loot for Wemmbu to harvest. So with shaky limbs and tired arms, he trudged forward to gather the items.
His tail flicked across the snow, creating a pattern as he hastily sorted through his inventory. Throwing away the trash and replacing it with valuables.
Along with swapping his armor with slighter more pristine ones. He was surprised. The player was stacked. He saw them chug god apples several times, and not to mention the trident and elytra. Items only the rich can afford.
Wemmbu’s hands twitched. Brows furrowed as a question bugged him.
What was the motive? Sure killing Eggchan, but then again it’s Egg. Unstable’s most chungus player. No offence to his best friend, but he can’t swing a sword without missing ninety percent of his hits.
Then there was the teleporting- who would set up that many stasis for a single player?
It was freaky- uncanny.
Plus the PvP aspects, so many different styles. PvP combat master for sure.
Cytharam…
Has he heard that name before?
“Wemmbu”
That’s when the robotic gurgle of a voicechanger made Wemmbu flinch. His senses immediately sharpened as he whirled around, eyes blown wide.
Netherite armor and lapis trims, iridescent invisible skin that shined slightly when the sun hit it right. They seemed bigger than before, more imposing as they stood there. A spear in hand. They looked him dead in the eye.
Wemmbu seethed, his canine tooth digging into his lip as he hissed. This wasn’t good. No, no not at all.
“You! I thought I just killed you!” He would yell, Gambit shaking in his grasp as he glared.
Trim guy, yes that’s his name now, continued to stare. Almost analyzing the imp before him. He didn’t even respond to his question!
Wemmbu didn’t get to retort anything, as the trimmed player charged forward with an insane amount of speed. Wemmbu blinked and they were infront of him within a second.
“Shit-“
The spear was the first thing that made contact with Wemmbu, the butt of the weapon hit him square in the chest. Punching the air out of his chest and launching him into the snow. Limb flying as the bristles of frost sunk its teeth into his skin.
It left Wemmbu writhering. His mind screamed at him to get up, windcharge, anything but the netherite spear to pierce his heart. Yet his body betrayed him. It wouldn’t respond at his minds command.
He squeezed his eyes shut. Expecting the jolt of pain of nerves and muscle being torn, blood rushing out until he’ll become just another death message.
But as he peeled a hesitant glance, a figure of shadow stood above him. The sun made it hard to see if their invisibility had worn off.
Because Wemmbu was sure he saw a twitch of a lip.
“I thought I had trained you better than that” They- He grutted out. Manepear had grutted out.
The sun eased on the imp’s vision, and he could finally see the blindfold and blonde braids of his old mentor. His pissed scowl and tail that swished behind him in erratic motion.
Even his furrowed brow that meant he didn’t like what he was seeing. Trimmed turquoise armor had decorated his body though, the same ones that have been chasing him.
He remembered it so clearly, and to think now that he’s standing infront of Mane right now? Looking absolutely pathetic and the lost cause he is?
Shivering from fear- allowing an opponent to get the upper hand like that?
Fuck, fuck what was he doing?
He should’ve gotten up, he could’ve dodged it- fuck! Anything but being thrown around like a ragdoll!
“Mane” he choked out. Cold sweat clung to his forehead, having already formed within seconds of his mentor’s appearance.
The lion hybrid sighed through his nose, rolling his head back as he flexed his shoulder. The whole situation seemed mundane to him, just another day for Manepear.
Wemmbu blinked and quickly scrambled up. “I- Mane? What are you doing here? Are you working with the trim dude? Are you the trim dude??”
Mane watched as the imp stood up. “I was hired to kill you, Wemmbu”
He said it with such a flat tone, coldness radiated from each word. Such the same when he imagined Mane saying ‘lost cause’ to him countless nights.
“What?”
The lion smirked. Smirked.
“En guard”
The sentence brought Wemmbu back to his training days, and he found his body’s muscle tensing as Mane twirled his spear. The imp watched in awe and pure fear as Manepear jumped forward, somehow potion particles already emitting.
He brought his sword to parry the quick stab, directing the blow to his right. The action burned his already exhausted arm- having to use his body weight to even exchange a blow.
Manepear quickly read this as he swept his feet, bending his knees as he watched Wemmbu fall below him. The imp huffed, slicing the air where he assumed Mane would strike.
He met netherite as the spear clashed with his sword- his assumption right. Mane gasped and took a step back to gain momentum while Wemmbu got back on his feet.
A windcharge formed in his hand as Wemmbu threw it at Manepear, who stumbled backwards. He used an extra windcharge to jump in the air, feeling Gambit slide across his palm.
The action was quick as he descended upon the lion hybrid, using the last bits of strength he had to swing Gambit over his head and across the face of Mane. A totem pop graced the imp’s ears as he was launched back up.
The totem did its job- Skin reknitted itself, muscles tearing before forcing itself to realign again. Wemmbu briefly saw the flash of lavender eyes and blonde eyelashes before Mane’s blindfold popped back into place.
Mane laughed, grinning as he showed his canines. “You’ve gotten better! Maybe I should've done this sooner bro!” His tail joyfully twirled around.
Then the lion pearled, grappling onto Wemmbu as his own enchanted mace rudely met the chest of his armor. He was then thrown to the ground, snow kicking up from the force of the hit.
His body screamed in response. Pain bloomed quickly across his chest, and was it normal that his ear was ringing? And now his ribs were throbbing. Great.
“Wemmbu bro, don’t tell me that you’re done already”
A realization hit him. Mane was going easy on him.
Wemmbu gritted his teeth, forcing his body to comply with him. Violet hair and white streaks obscured his vision as he got to his knees, using a shaky hand to swipe the strands away.
“Dude- I.. I haven’t see you since-” his tongue felt heavy against his mouth. Almost dry. “Since you trained me. Do you still hold a grudge against me, enough to kill me!?” The imp yelped.
Mane stopped his approach, his smirk being erased as he pressed his lips together into a frown. “It’s nothing personal if that’s what you’re wondering”
Wemmbu didn’t know if he should be relieved or offended. To think he’s only interested in interacting with him simply because he was possibly hired to?
The imp searched the lion’s expression for anything. Anything to tell him that maybe he was playing a joke, a stupid fucking embarrassing joke on Wemmbu before patting him on the back. Exclaiming how proud he was of how much Wemmbu improved.
He knows that will never happen. “Who hired you?”
Mane’s frown deepens. His claws tightened around the mace between his palm.
“I don’t usually disclose my client’s information”
Wemmbu couldn’t help but laugh. “Not even to your student?”
Mane didn’t find it funny.
“No, not even to a student”
The imp sighed, brows furrowed slightly. “Shame” and he jumped forward- quickly switching to his sword as he slashed to the middle of Mane’s face. Barely thinking as he relied on instinct alone.
It made contact cleanly, the blade ripping past Mane’s upper lip and up to his blindfold. Cutting it to expose pale amethyst eyes, their pupils sliding in alarm as Mane shrieked. It felt almost surreal, the feeling of skin cutting.
Blood was the first thing Wemmbu noted, and the second was the taste of metal that filled his nostrils. Red rushed from where the blade met, quickly pouring down Manepear’s chin as he looked shocked. Blinking several times.
Crimson coated his cheeks and lips like a canvas for a mad artist.
Even Wemmbu froze, now just comprehending what he had done. His face fell, mouth opening to tumble out something. Anything.
And Mane smiled. His cheeks raised with excitement, teeth and gums sticky with fresh blood while his plum colored eyes (he swears their changing colors) formed into slits.
Yeah, he’s so dead.
“Didn’t know you had anything left in you bro, but now it’s getting fun!” Mane said while he eagerly repotted.
Wemmbu realized that he had no pots, nothing but invis potions littered his scuffed inventory. Fuck, this wasn’t good. He had literally three stacks of wind charges yet not a single strength pot?
“I really enjoyed this meetup, but I have like- places to be” Wemmbu said and immediately turned tail.
He’ll be a dead man walking if he takes this fight.
And he might be one as Manepear yelled out to him.
“I’ll give you thirty seconds to run! After that it’s kill or be killed!”
Wemmbu doesn’t think he ran faster than he did that day.