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It was in the middle of that fight with the creaking king when 4c blinked, and he was in that black void again. It made no sense—he should’ve been back in the battle, even if he had been hit hard.
“What the heck?” His voice didn’t echo through the nothingness, but it was flat, stopped still, and it made 4c feel like the walls were closing in.
Little slime, the Creaking King said, voice coming from everywhere and nowhere. I have a proposition for you.
“How are you doing this? Aren’t you fighting us right now?”
It takes only a small portion of power to speak with you—do you not recall how I can send you back?
There was a familiar flash of heat, and then 4c was alone in the dark again. “What do you want? Because I think people will notice I’m missing, so—“
Fascinating that you think that, slime, the King said, and before 4c could even try to defend himself, the King continued. Do you think they would miss you more than the knight? You spoke such brave, noble words about him, before.
Because my proposition is such—you may take his place as my vessel. My gifts will leave him, his appearance will—
“Yes,” 4c said, without even stopping to think about it. “If it means you’re completely out of his head, and he can live in peace, yes, absolutely yes.”
There was a laugh, the sound echoing like it was both surrounding him and just in his head, and then there was a clump of resin in his hand. You know what to do. And as a gift, I won’t even tell him it was you who is taking his place. Good job, slime.
The resin was—the resin was disgusting, coating his mouth and throat as he choked it down, and 4c had a brief thought about how awful it must’ve been for both Nom and Sausage to taste, with them having more complex tastebuds than him—and Sausage had even done it twice! But then he was done, thankful that his armor covered where the resin would show through his skin, and then within a blink he was back in the fight.
The two kingdoms made quick work of the Creaking King after that, letting the king monologue about the past until they could all pile in and finish it off, and when they did–when they did, the bark on Nom began to flake off, or maybe it had been the whole time?
That in and of itself would’ve gone unremarked if Nom hadn’t begun coughing as well, doubling over on himself, gauntleted hands covering his mouth as he sounded like he was coughing up a lung. Both Katie and 4c lunged forward to stop him from falling from the force of his coughs, while Scott hurriedly cast a healing circle centered on Nom to quell whatever damage was happening to the knight.
“What-what’s going on?” Katie said, glancing wildly at the others who were staring at them, including Sausage–Sausage, who looked the same, who wasn’t coughing. “Is the Creaking King doing something to him?”
It was hard to read Sausage’s face, especially as it was now, but she could tell he wasn’t particularly sympathetic. “I haven’t heard anything from the King,” Sausage hedged, not really audible over the hacking coughs from Nom. “But maybe whatever’s happening is only going to happen because Nom rejected the King’s blessing. Or maybe I’m next.”
Nom heaved, his coughing wet, disturbing to listen to as he fell to his knees, guided there by Katie and 4c’s hands for a gentler landing, and he dropped his hands away from his face, orange resin flecked with bloody speckles as the noises eased, having finally managed to cough up what was left of the Creaking King’s curse.
The resin was seemingly undigested, still perfectly formed, and before their eyes it crumbled into dust, and the healing circle–that had been joined by Cam’s cleansing aura wavered like a mirage, and when they blinked Nom looked–he looked back to normal.
“Whoa,” someone murmured, and Katie clutched at Nom’s armor harder, like she was afraid that he would disappear the same way.
Shandrea moved forward, then, offering out her waterskein to Nom. “Seems like you may need this,” she said, and he took it with a murmured thank you, lifting it to his mouth and draining the water, seeming not bothered by how Katie was clinging to him, although he adjusted so Katie wasn’t in danger of getting pinched by his armor.
That seemed–good. He was good, the Creaking King had kept the deal, clearly, so 4c backed off to let the siblings have their moment. At least, he tried to, but Nom grabbed his wrist, shockingly gentle to keep him in place. “Where are you goin’, huh?”
His voice was rough, understandably so, and 4c wasn’t about to say no to Nom, and so he settled back into Nom’s side, glancing over Nom to Katie.
Katie, who looked relieved, eyes red like she’d been crying. “I-I thought–the King, they said that–they offered me a deal–”
“A deal? Katie, you didn’t–” Nom already sounded pissed, it made 4c want to squirm, but that’d give it away, so he just settled for putting a hand on Nom’s shoulder, like it’d hold Nom back from grabbing Katie, shaking her to get answers.
Katie didn’t flinch. “I didn’t take the deal. I knew you’d be upset if I had, and–and I didn’t think it was worth it, besides. I shouldn’t have to fix your mistakes.”
Nom didn’t know if he should be proud or pissed by that, and Scott gently clearing his throat reminded both of them that they had an audience.
“Perhaps we could all watch the sunset from up here, before we get back to it?” Scott’s voice was mild, as was the suggestion, but it set 4c scrambling to his feet so he could help Katie and Nom to their feet as well.
“Good–good idea, yeah. We can discuss this–later.” Katie brushed herself off, and when she was sure Nom could stand on his own, she grabbed 4c to tug him towards the edge, which 4c followed after a last glance to Nom, who seemed to be–pulling Scott away, to talk to him privately. Which was–which was fine, really. They were part of the same kingdom, and he and Katie were not. It made sense.
“This doesn’t feel right,” Nom said to Scott, tone low so no one could overhear. “If the deal was going to disappear anyways, why would the Creaking King offer Katie that deal? And why would Sausage still look like that? Unless–” Nom narrowed his eyes up at Scott. “You didn’t take a deal, did you?”
Scott blinked down at him, unflinching from Nom’s tone. “I think you and I both know I wouldn’t take any such deal.”
“Then why am I back to normal? It doesn’t make any damn sense.”
“Perhaps–perhaps the Creaking King expended himself too far, and picking one host was the best option?” It was a safe bet, for sure, but Nom didn’t seem convinced.
—
Even though they’d killed the Creaking King, and Nom had been cured, the Kingdoms still wanted war.
It was just–it was crazy, is what it was. 4c hadn’t been with the Red Kingdom that long, but it was pretty clear to him that most of them didn’t want to fight–they just wanted to be left alone. But even with Graecie as the monarch, Blue Kingdom didn’t want to take that for an answer, especially with Sausage at the helm of Red Kingdom.
And the gall of Graecie, to act as though they were ignoring Sausage’s whole Creaking-ness, or act like Nom hadn’t done the same thing as Sausage–4c wasn’t quite annoyed enough to speak up, say why Nom wasn’t all creaky anymore, because that’d invite questions he didn’t want to answer, so he avoided that particular subject, let others protest it instead.
He let Eloise into Red Kingdom the night before their foreseen (by Sausage) final battle, because he wasn’t going to stand in the way of true love, especially when it could mean a potential link, there, a tenuous tie to maybe get some peace between the two kingdoms. Of course, that was ruined with Frogue finding the two, but what could he have done, really?
The tag team with Katie against Owain went well, too, Katie managing to defeat the older knight in a way that proved that she truly was Katie the Brave, in a way that made 4c proud, made it so he could ignore the stiffness in his limbs.
During the final battle, though, he heard a voice in the back of his head that he wished he’d never hear again. The time has come. Come to my abode. And we will put an end to this frivolous fight.
Which, like, yeah, obviously he wanted. But 4c had a suspicion that the way the Creaking King wanted to end this fight was not the same way he did.
No thank you, 4c thought back, trying to be polite to the voice of a monster in his head. I’m in the middle of something.
The pain that rocketed through him made him reconsider. He let the insistent tug in his gut guide him back to the Creaking King’s domain, even managing to beat Sausage there–for the best, really, so no one would know what he was doing in the first place, hoping that in the fuss of the battle no one would notice a stray rogue, especially with Sausage leaving as well.
Sausage, who was shocked, and then pleased to see him at the altar of the king.
“4c,” Sausage cried out, arms open to wrap him in a hug that he didn’t have the heart to escape. “So you’re the reason Nominal changed back. I can’t say I’ll understand your reasoning, but it’s nice to have another Red here for our King’s rebirth.”
Greetings, Acolytes, the King said, then, with an exacting sense of timing. I extend my gratitude for freeing me from that weak vessel. He was old, frail, desperate. Spent. But there is so much more available now. The world is so much more new, so much more…Ripe. Right then, the time has come. Will you accept my power? I offer you a choice, a challenge if you will. For I may have only one willing vessel.
The King’s voice made 4c…not itch, but certainly felt unsettled, and he coughed lightly, edged towards the exit. “Um, so, I don’t–that’s not really what I…want? Sausage, that’s–that’s all you, uh, so…”
Sausage giggled, and the sound was definitely–eerie. Evil? Both worked. “I understand, don’t you worry. You took on this blessing even though you view it as a curse, because you love Nominal, even after all he’s done to you.”
“Uh, so, that’s not–” 4c started to stutter, but the Creaking King’s presence was sort of weighing heavily on both of them, making 4c want to flee, “–you know what, yeah, whatever you wanna think. Have fun with all of that, I’m just gonna–I’m gonna go.”
“I’ll see you on the battlefield,” Sausage replied cheerfully. “Not as your enemy, though. Even if you don’t want this blessing, I’m doing this for all of the Red Kingdom. Even you.”
4c could only awkwardly nod, mumble a goodbye and turn tail to run out the same gateway he entered through, ignoring how his limbs felt just the tiniest bit stiffer.
Whatever happened to Nom was…it had changed him over the course of weeks, after all, so he’d be fine, surely. No one was going to notice, especially not with the way his clothes covered him–and at that thought, he glanced down at the holes in his trousers, just to make sure nothing weird was visible, and there was nothing, just the peek of blue slime, same as before.
Run, little slime, echoed through 4c’s head as he kept running, the King’s voice cruelly amused as he ‘spoke.’ Yet again you made a choice for Nominal. Only time will tell if he reacts the same as when you last did. That was–the King was just messing with him, and, if 4c was honest with himself, he wasn’t particularly certain he’d have to reap what he’d sown anyways.
Either they’d all defeat the king, and would be the end of it, and no one would ever be able to tell the deal he’d made, or he’d die in the process, and he wouldn’t have to deal with the repercussions of the deal he’d made. Hell, with any luck they’d think he died in battle, and no one would connect Nom’s being turned back and his death. That was a good thought.
There was a shudder, like the Earth itself was shaking apart, and then another, even more familiar voice in his head–the rogue god, of course it was the rogue god–You did something right, for once, turning that thing down. It has only malice in its heart, no mischief or fun. It is an affront to us Gods, that it considers itself one of us. Snuff it out.
He stumbled a bit, hearing that voice again, but didn’t falter in his run, back to No Man’s Land–to the arena, where it seemed everyone had congregated. He’d just blend in, easy as anything, no one would be any wiser.
That much was true, mostly because as soon as he got there everyone had started running again, because there were–there were Creaking things, spilling from the areas that had gone gray, groaning like zombies as they blindly attacked anyone who got too close.
It was grim work, trying to fight through the horde to get to the Pale Oaks’ hearts, made more difficult because whatever curse–blessing?–they’d been under before, the one that made it so they’d never permanently die had left their bodies as soon as Sausage and the Creaking King became one. Evidently, Lady Death had finished her part of the deal.
The fight was brutal, messy, Red versus Blue completely abandoned when it came down to it (if only they’d been like this before–) as whenever someone was downed, anyone nearby came rushing towards said person to help them back to their feet.
Sausage had waded into the melee as well, completely untouchable as he directed his minions to keep attacking. It was a brutal cacophony, and the only reason they even knew to stop fighting was Frogue–Frogue!–who had apparently found the Creaking King’s heart, so off they went to the Farkle Hall, of all places. It made sense, 4c supposed, because Frogue had built it in the old Kingdom’s ruins, but that didn’t mean there wasn’t some humor to be found there.
Something had to be funny in this situation, since it looked dire otherwise. They were being followed, swarmed, really, by those shambling Creaking things, and going deeper into the Forgotten Kingdom only made the situation worse, surrounding them on all sides until they could dig up the Earth, find their way into the cave that seemed to lead them to the Creaking King’s heart.
When they finally found their way to the Creaking King’s heart, the King spoke to them yet again–taunting them, saying they would never win. But there was a whisper there, too, one that only 4c could hear. “You will die here, if I die, you understand this? If you were stronger, I’d say you could fight them off for your life. But we both know you’re a coward.
Don’t worry–for every one of my hearts they break, you’ll feel it too. Let’s see how they feel about you when they learn what you’ve done.
4c didn’t let that stop him, of course. He’d been through hell, he could withstand a little pain if it meant the Creaking King would no longer darken the skies of the two kingdoms–and maybe, just maybe the kingdoms could finally figure their problems out–if they worked together here, maybe they could…not unite, but at least undergo a peace treaty.
It was a pity he wouldn’t be around to see it, but at least it meant Katie and Nom could be happy again. And Mae would–would be able to lean on Katie, and they could bond more, even without him around.
She’d probably need someone like Katie, after all, considering he was going to–
It didn’t matter. He needed to locketh in, and after a quick check that everything was in place, he was off, racing up the heart’s branches to begin taking out the smaller hearts that gave the Creaking King life.
The cracking noise of the hearts giving way was loud–of course it was loud, the whole thing was, and it certainly didn’t help that he had been wrong about what he thought the implication the King had made was–he wasn’t getting hurt from every heart break. No, his body seemed to be stiffening up, becoming…bark-y, like Nom’s had.
He got quite a shock, jumping down from a branch only to find that he didn’t bounce, but instead took damage when he hit the branches below.
When the last heart had been broken, all eyes were on Graecie as she and Sausage circled each other, which meant no one noticed 4c’s unusually careful descent down the tree–at least until he jumped the last three blocks, and the noise of snapping bark emanated from him.
That was something he couldn’t really disguise, per se, and Katie wasn’t close enough to take the fall for it, either.
“Since when do you take fall damage, 4cvit?” Mae demanded, coming forward immediately to grab his shoulders, study him like it would reveal all of his secrets–and to be fair to Mae, sometimes it did feel like she could do that.
Before he could think up a lie for it, though, there was another cracking noise, and Mae’s hold on him was the only thing keeping 4c from doubling over as the agony of losing a piece of himself–far too familiar of a feeling, now–overcame him.
Nom’s eyes widened in understanding, a ripple of murmuring overtaking the crowd as the group put together the pieces–Nom’s healing, and now 4c’s damage–and suddenly Nom was there, brushing Mae aside like he had the right, gripping 4c’s shoulders tightly, the copper armor nearly giving away under his hold. “What did you do?”
4c smiled up at him weakly, not quite meeting his eyes. “Figured…figured you deserved a second chance.”
Nom shook him firmly. “How? Wait, better question, why? What deal did you make? When the hell did you even have time to do this?”
“Just–during the battle. I figured it would–maybe it would make up for me making a mess of things.” He took another bit of damage, then, and Nom could feel it, even through the layers of armor and cloth. “Had to eat the resin and everything. Dunno how you and Sausage did it, that stuff tastes vile.”
That–the resin. Nom’s claws dug pinpricks into 4c’s shirt, and, acting on instinct, he shoved 4c into the dirt, following him down. At the very least one of Nom’s hands cradled 4c’s head, so that it didn’t slam down as well, but 4c was breathless, staring up at Nom in a way that harkened back to the macing.
“Nom, what the hell are you doing,” Katie cried out, lunging forward to grab at his armor, like she had a chance of pulling him away from 4c, pull him off, but Nom only glanced up at her, eyes dark behind his glasses.
“I’m stopping 4c from dying. I have an idea, okay? Just trust me–you trust me, don’t you, 4c? Seeing as you were willing to die in my place, and all.”
To be quite honest, 4c was a bit terrified, but he was dying regardless, so if Nom wanted to kill him quicker…”What’s the plan here, exactly?”
Nom granted him a whisper of a smile, before he glanced back up at the rest of the kingdoms, trying to find Scott in the crowd. “Scott? I’m gonna need you, here. Can you set up another healing circle?”
Scott came forward, staff in hand already glowing as the circle formed, centered on 4c. “Of course.”
“Right. Katie, you’re gonna have to help me, too. Hold 4c down by the shoulders so he can’t squirm, yeah?”
“You still haven’t explained yourself, what’s even your plan, here?” Katie had already settled next to 4c’s head, at least, but she didn’t seem happy about it, and even less so when Nom began tugging at 4c’s shirt, to get to the armor beneath.
“Easy. I’m going to get the resin out of him. It’s been what, a few hours? He can’t have dissolved it that quickly.” The words had an easy confidence to them, like all of Nom’s harebrained schemes did when they came out of his mouth, and 4c couldn’t help but attempt to squirm, even though he was pretty firmly held in place by Nom and Katie’s hands.
“You’re just gonna, what, shove your hand into me?” 4c’s voice was pitched high, tight with anxiety, but when Nom met his eyes there was a determination there he’d seen before, that meant nothing he could say would sway Nom’s opinion.
“Yeah, basically.” Nom’s hands hadn’t stopped moving, undoing the straps on his armor to loosen it, and when he realized he couldn’t get it off without removing 4c’s shirt, and 4c couldn’t get his shirt off without being allowed to sit up he simply ripped through it, the noise making Katie flinch, her own clawed hands anxiously kneading 4c’s curls.
Cam came forward, then, wiping at his eyes subtly as he put down a healing circle of his own without a word, as Shan, Graecie leaning on her for support, did the same, and after a moment, Eloise did the same.
“Let’s give you all the help we can, hm? Red Kingdom doesn’t–doesn’t need to lose another member.” His voice wavered as he said it, but at least the sentiment was there, and his words very nearly overshadowed the sound of 4c taking another bit of damage, his sharp intake of breath as Nom’s hands were finally on the bare skin of his stomach.
The resin was visible through his skin, an unnatural green color that was nearly giving off light, and Nom flexed his fingers in his gloves, and then began removing his gauntlets.
“What are you–”
“There’s gunk on ‘em. Don’t wanna mess up your insides even more than I have to, and it’s not like my claws aren’t sharp enough for this.”
The giggle 4c let out was very nearly deranged. “This is crazy. I can’t believe you’re doing this. But if it doesn’t work, I’m dying either way, right?”
Now free of his gloves, Nom rested a bare hand on 4c’s stomach, digging his claws in lightly. “Katie,” he said, trying to sound calm, “give him something to bite down on, will you?”
Katie looked at him in disbelief, because why would he even think she had something like that in the first place? She opened her mouth to say it, too, but was interrupted when Mae sat down beside her, her hair free of its ties. “My hair ties. I knotted them together, they can–they’ll work, won’t they?”
She looked anxiously at Nom, but Nom didn’t meet her eyes, fully focused on the resin. “Yeah,” he said, after a moment. “4c, bite down so you don’t scream. If you do it’ll make things harder.”
Another nervous giggle, but 4c opened his mouth for Mae, bit down on the ties, and then–
Nom didn’t even give warning when he acted. Not a word, a breath, anything, and then there was agony, 4c straining to try to get away from the pain even though he was too firmly held down by Mae and Katie’s hands.
Tears pricked in his eyes, and then fell as the pain just kept going, and he felt like he couldn’t breathe, like he was going to die, unable to see anything but white even though his eyes were open, this was the end this was the end this was the end–
And then it really did end. The pain was gone, and he was left empty. The ringing in his ears was able to subside, and he could properly feel the hands petting his curls, the gentle words being murmured frantically to him the only things left to hear, other than his own ragged breathing.
The lull that happened, when it was all said and done, felt like it could’ve gone on forever, everyone holding their breaths to see if 4c would lose anything else to the Creaking King.
It gave 4c enough time to spit the ties out, at least, start squirming enough to remind them all that even if it hadn’t worked, Nom hadn’t killed him at the very least.
“Can I sit up now?” 4c’s voice was still tinged with pain– no one could blame him for, really, being that moments earlier he’d had Nom’s claws inside him–the clump of resin tinged green-orange laying next to Nom’s knee.
One of Nom’s hands–the one on his hip, used to pin him so he could dig in–flexed, then tightened. “Kinda trying to fix the damage I did, so no.”
Saying that, 4c could feel Nom’s other hand on his stomach. He’d thought Nom was like, petting him, but it was clear now that Nom was trying to just fix the hole in his stomach. Which was helpful, but probably not necessary, especially with the four healing circles currently swirling in the air around them.
Still, Nom’s voice was tight, with that little undercurrent of something that could’ve been anger that made 4c shut up, let Nom keep worrying over the wound until it had fully closed.
It was only then he was granted permission to sit back up, Katie and Mae at his back as Nom brusquely helped him back into his armor–he didn’t need the help, but it’s not like he could tell Nom no.
At the very least he was allowed to put his shirt back on his own, and it was then that 4c could finally relax, at least a little, Mae, Katie, and Nom all helping him back to his feet. The rest of the Kingdom had made space, at least, even though it was clear they wanted to crowd, ensuring he was alright, until Owain cleared his throat, “perhaps conversations like this would be better done outside of this place?”
Which, yeah, it was a good plan, and even better it got everyone filtering out and away, giving 4c a chance to catch his breath, even as Nom met his eyes solemnly when he glanced back from where Mae and Katie were tugging him out and away from that dark space.
“You should probably eat something,” Katie said, grip tight on 4c’s wrist, like she was afraid he’d disappear. “And maybe bathe, because Nom didn’t wash his hands before doing that, and goodness knows what he has on his claws.” Mae, on 4c’s other side nodded enthusiastically. “While it was very good of him to save you, perhaps it would have been feasible to put down something so you weren’t laid out on a dirty floor?”
It seemed they were still mad at Nom, if they were going to talk about him like he couldn’t hear. Even still, 4c couldn’t help but to glance back at Nom, who was staring right back at him.
He knew that look. It meant they were going to have to have a Talk, later, but 4c refused to let it fill him with the same dread as it would’ve prior.
At least, until that little spark of–something appeared, a little glint in Nom’s eyes as he brought his hand, his claws, up to his mouth, and licked a little bit of slime off of them.
That’s crazy, 4c wanted to say, splutter it out, make a joke out of something that was–that was maybe not a joke.
“4cvit, are you alright,” Mae asked, her grip on his hand growing even tighter with concern as she twisted around to see what had gotten his attention. But Nom had already glanced away, seeming back to normal as he slipped his gauntlets back on, stretching a bit as he moved to catch up with the group.
The only reason 4c knew that he hadn’t just hallucinated was that Nom’s eyes still had that same glint as before.