It was the day after I had met the residents of this world and I was sitting quietly on my throne, alongside Daisyheart, who was here as a diplomatic representative for the Deerfolk.
The Queen had noticed how higher in spirits I had been when we came back inside after my little… Meltdown, and attributed that to Daisyheart’s own efforts. Thus, Queen Cloverhoof found it prudent to assign her to me as a show of goodwill, though I could tell she was hesitant.
I honestly don’t even know how Daisyheart came to the conclusion that I needed a friend. When I asked, she responded simply by stating that Deerfolk like herself were potent empaths, and that she had this odd nagging feeling in the back of her mind that prompted her forward. All that did was raise more questions than satisfy answers, so I decided not to dig any further. At least for now.
But while I sat there on my throne, I contemplated my next move and the previous night’s events.
I managed to establish a shaky, albeit friendly, relationship with the nearby monarchy somehow. Which was only further solidified when I received a very important looking document this morning that detailed plans for a more formal meeting, one that was to be held at the deerfolk capital of Verdeloom.
It was to be held on the 31st of the month, of which it was currently the 20th according to Daisyheart. So, I had 11 days to get my act together and figure out just what the hell I’m doing.
My main concern at the moment was the fact that, as a King, I was now responsible for the wellbeing of anyone that decided to throw down roots (no pun intended) in my territory. The chances of that happening are pretty slim, but regardless.
I had no experience with leadership, no idea how lawmaking worked, and certainly no knowledge regarding the required legal jargon that I’d need to know, lest I accidentally sign everything away to some shady court spider. I let out a heavy sigh as I leaned forward to let my elbows rest on my knees, burying my face in my gauntleted hands. I had a lot to learn.
This prompted Daisyheart to cast a quizzical look my way, an eyebrow raised. “You alright, Theodore? You look worried.” She asked kindly, turning a bit more to face me.
“I’m fine. Please, don’t waste your concern on me.” I said wearily, letting my left hand fall and hang in the open air.
“Well, if you say so… Though if I had to guess, you’re probably way out of your depth, huh?” Daisyheart cracked a wry grin as I simply turned my head away to stare at nothing in particular.
“You can always talk to me, you know that, right?” she continued. I gave it thought for a moment. I was a little hesitant to just air out my worries to somebody I barely knew.
Even though we were friends, I didn’t want to burden her… Though with her grin still going strong, she raised an expectant eyebrow, waiting ever so patiently for me to spill my guts. I was seriously starting to regret the whole ‘King Dietrich’ schtick at this point.
Meanwhile, Daisyheart watched me with an amused twinkle in her eye despite my silence. Shaking her head, she sighed and nodded “Trust me, I get it. When I was a fawn, my dear old dad was obsessed with me becoming the next head of the family!” she said in a gruff voice, likely a comical attempt to imitate her father.
“So, naturally, that came with a lot of stuffy education. Good faust… lemme tell you, it was agonizingly boring. Not to mention overwhelming. I honestly would’ve preferred to watch grass grow.” She explained with a rueful chuckle, remembering the countless lessons led by a grouchy old doe.
I didn’t know how to respond to that, so I just stayed quiet. I then briefly thought about asking what her family was like, but… We’re still practically strangers. It’d be a rude question, right? Not my business to stick my nose into.
My thoughts were a jumbled mess at the moment as well, and it was only getting harder to organize them. As much as I would’ve liked to simply sit there and chat with Daisyheart, I needed some space to think.
“I hate to cut our conversation short, but I think I will excuse myself for the time being. I’d like to take stock of my new holdings.” I said, rising from my seat and promptly making way to the throne chamber’s large wooden doors. Though, quick as ever on the uptake, Daisyheart called out to me.
“Hey! Wait up!”
Of course, I paused. Within seconds, she cleared the short distance I had made and stopped beside me.
“Mind if I tag along? I mean, what’s a King without an entourage, right?” She said, nudging my side with her elbow. She seemed pretty eager to come with me, but… I needed some time alone at the moment.
“I apologize, but I’d like to ask that you remain here for the time being. I will fetch you if I need you.” I said, my tone not leaving any room for an argument. She gave me a cute pout, and huffed indignantly, looking away with her snout raised in the air. I didn’t know if It was because I was undead or if I’m just a heartless bastard, but it had little effect on me.
I let an amused rumble escape my chest as I once more made for the doors, leaving Daisy to her devices. Stepping out of the throne room and into the main hall, I made my way down the stairs, through the hall and into the castle yard, my thoughts drifting back to last night’s meltdown for a split second before moving onwards.
It appeared to be a relatively cloudless day, the sun making the snow sparkle brilliantly in its golden light. My sabatons crunched through the snow without effort as I made my way out of the courtyard and onto a winding cobblestone road that stretched downwards, taking in all the sights and sounds.
The rolling sheets of white snow and the plethora of trees made for quite the idyllic landscape, bringing me to realize that this is the first time I’ve actually made an effort to venture outside the castle grounds since I arrived. I soon found myself up against the ravine, however.
Stopping before its edge, I looked down, grimacing slightly as I took in the long fall below. I gave a long glance to the other side, before taking a deep breath to steady my nerves. I never did like heights.
Bending my knees like spring coils, I easily cleared the gap in a single bound, landing on the other side with a near seismic impact as the ground shook upon my landing. Snow fell from the boughs of the trees, landing on my helmet and pauldrons. Shaking the powdery whiteness from my armor, I looked back at the castle, and gave a long whistle.
It was gorgeous.
Darkly so. It was like a structure ripped straight from Castlevania, ominous and foreboding, yet also beautiful in its own right. Definitely looked like a place Mordekaiser would call home, with its gothic aesthetic and gnarled iron accessories giving it a vibe that could only be described as ‘villainous’. Tearing my gaze away from my abode, I turned my attention to the forest, and would’ve made an audible gulping sound if I had a throat.
It was almost scarier than the castle I just came from. The thick canopy cast a spell of darkness on all that rested below it, and the dense vegetation would make any trek a hassle for even seasoned explorers. A trifling matter for me, of course. I could just plow through it all without any problems. But that wasn’t the problem here. Scary forest bad. It’s really as simple as that.
Biting my nonexistent lip, I made my way into the woodland proper. Hands clasped behind my back, I tried to hide my fear while I admired the dark, and almost jungle-esq, scenery.
What really caught my attention though was the sheer variety of trees that populated these woods. From towering pines, willows that retained their greenery, strong oaks and noble birches. Something about that didn’t seem quite right. With all this snow around, you’d think these trees would’ve lost their foliage already. But, that didn’t seem to be the case.
Due to the thick canopy, the forest floor was largely free of snow, which made the finer details of the forest much easier to see. If one thought the variety of trees was impressive, a simple look around would tell you that the plants were far more numerous and diverse. Fantastical flora ranging from exotic blue flowers to softly glowing colonies of mushrooms, and more.
I probably would have taken all day just looking at all the new plants if I didn’t have a goal in mind, which was one; clearing my head and two; getting to know my territory on a more personal level. Tromping through the forest, woodland critters would sometimes scramble to get out of my way.
I walked for about five minutes before the bushes to my left rustled furiously, heralding the arrival of something.
My soul nearly leapt from my armor as I noticed a pair of frightfully large wooden wolves sprint from the bushes as they chased what appeared to be a large rabbit with antlers. The predators and prey left as quickly as they came, disappearing into the foliage and the shade of the forest. If I had a heart, it would’ve been hammering in my chest.
I immediately spun on a heel and started speed walking back towards the castle, fully intending on taking Daisyheart up on her previous offer. A voice in the back of my head expressed its contempt, broadcasting its raw disgust at my cowardice.
Walking alone was seriously overrated anyways.
It took me little time to reach the castle, and I blazed through the halls, propelled by my fear. As I came upon the wooden doors, I hesitated, taking a deep breath to steady myself. If Daisyheart noticed how shook up I was, there was no doubt in my mind that she’d tease me about it.
I opened the doors and stepped inside. Almost immediately, Daisy was at my side.
“So? How’d it go?” She asked expectantly. She seemed rather restless, which I couldn’t blame her for. There wasn’t much to do as a diplomatic representative here, and she was likely bored out of her mind staying cooped up in a castle. An empty one at that.
“It- Well- I-I-I’m not quite finished. I thought it cruel to leave you here and neglect my guest. Thus, I returned to retrieve you.” My speech was a tad awkward, and I couldn’t help but clasp my hands behind my back and discreetly fiddle with my fingers. Meanwhile, Daisy gave me a smug look.
“Uh-huh. Sure you did. Let me take another guess; You ran into some wildlife, didn’t you?” She said, the smugness on her face only intensifying as my silence spoke for me, an amused hum building in her throat.
“D’aww, don’t worry big guy, I’ll protect you!” She said confidently, tapping a sword at her waist. Even though I was slightly annoyed and embarrassed with her antics, I felt rather glad she was with me. Her casual demeanor helped ease my nerves somewhat.
“N-now then, let’s be off, shall we? There’s much to see.” And with that, we were off. Through the doors, down the hall, past the field, and over the ravine. We made our way into the forest, ready to see what the woodland had in store.
Daisyheart, likely already having seen this area on her way through, looked around with her head on a swivel and eyes alert. Judging by her tense body language, I could infer that this place was a lot more dangerous than I thought. Especially if my encounter earlier was anything to go by.
We soon came upon the spot where I briefly encountered the wolves, and I repressed the urge to hesitate as we passed it. It took another ten minutes before we finally reached a landmark. A long, winding river that seemed to stretch on and on. My mind suddenly sparked with the idea of a river-side town. Good for fishing, milling flour, and transporting goods. Among other things.
I’d have to run the idea by The Queen later, or perhaps the King if I get acquainted with him at the upcoming meeting.
Daisyheart would have to do for now.
“Constable Daisyheart, I have a query if you’d be so kind to answer.” I asked as I gazed in the river below, my eyes catching a fish darting from hiding place to hiding place.
“Sure! What’cha got?” Daisyheart promptly responded, taking a second to sit down at the river’s edge beside me, her ears swiveling to cover her back as she cast her eyes on me. One could never be too careful around here, after all.
“If I were to establish a settlement beside this river, would that be cause for conflict with your superiors?” I asked, watching a much larger, scarier looking fish nab the one I had been watching. Brutal. Such is the law of nature, though. Survival of the fittest.
“Ah… I mean…” Daisy started, sucking in air through her teeth as she grimaced. No-go, then? That was disappointing. “They wouldn’t be opposed, it’s your territory n’ all, but… They aren’t the ones to-”
Daisyheart was interrupted as a giant shadow swam up from the river’s horizon, quickly closing in on them. My eyes widened with panic as it burst forth from the water, revealing itself to be a giant purple serpentine creature… With an orange head of hair and an eccentrically curled mustache?
“Oooh, now would ya lookie here~!” The serpent said in a rather… Zesty voice. The giant river serpent rested his elbows on the bank as he looked down on us, his expression a scene of whimsical interest and curiosity. Daisyheart released a sigh and gestured to the purple serpent with a cloven hoof.
“Speak of the creature, and he shall appear… This is Steven Magnet.” She said exasperatedly, as if she had a not-so-pleasant history with him.
“Oh Daisy, honey, you’re so mean~! Acting as if we aren’t besties!” Steven Magnet said jokingly, twirling his finger in his mustache before pointing at Daisy. The doe’s face spread with a rueful smile, shaking her head as she looked up at the river serpent.
“But enough about that, who's tall, dark and handsome here? Well, hm… handsome might be a strong word… No offense, mister.” he said, giving me a lookover. The serpent had the same expression that Rarity did when she inspected my armor. Disgust, mixed with intrigue.
“Offense taken. Are you the overgrown eel who rules this river?” I said in a no-nonsense tone, looking up at him with baleful eyes. I wasn’t really offended. He was right, after all. Before and after becoming King Dietrich, I wasn’t exactly a looker. Daisy visibly cringed at my response, probably hoping Steven would stay civil.
“Ohoho, cat’s got some claws, hm? I’ll let it slide~ Only because it seems you’re friends with my bestie-for-resties Daisy… But yes, to answer your question. I’m the big wig of the river so to speak.” Steven replied in a sassy tone, before shifting to a bored one as he leaned against the river bank to inspect his carefully manicured nails.
“Hehe, well, uh, Steven, This is King Dietrich! Ruling lord of the realm of the dead, and the sole occupant of the newly refurbished castle of the two sisters.” Daisyheart said, introducing me to her apparent friend. Steven Magnet seemed to be surprised that I was royalty, and bowed after Daisy was down speaking.
“Well I’m TERRIBLY sorry for my rudeness, your majesty. I had no idea I was in the presence of royalty! So, what can the great and fabulous Steven Magnet do for you?” The serpent said amiably, clasping his hands together like a business man as he spoke.
“A riverside settlement. At some point in the future, I may want to finance the creation of one. Would you be opposed to it?” I asked as I looked up at the stylish leviathan. For a moment, he twirled his mustache in thought, thinking of all the pros and cons. Steven Magnet put a hand on his side as he delved deeper into thought, before snapping his fingers and turning to me with a smile on his reptilian face.
“That’d be a MARVELOUS idea! A little riverside town? Just quaint! It’ll finally give me some folks to gossip with that aren’t Daisyheart and occasionally Rarity! Though I do ask that you don’t blockade the river. I’d like to be able to freely pass to and fro.” Steven said exuberantly, the idea charming him before adding that stipulation with a more business-like tone.
I nodded in response before looking across the river, gauging the distance… I then turned around and walked back into the forest without saying a word.
Daisyheart and Steven Magnet shared a quizzical look before their attention was immediately stolen by the heavy footfalls of my sabatons. Sprinting out of the bushes, I leapt across the river in one jump, landing with yet another earth-shaking boom. That felt GOOD. The power my legs held was incredible! And Steven Magnet certainly thought so too, clapping wildly.
“Bravo! BRAVO! What a show!” The serpent cheered enthusiastically before swimming over to the other side to meet me. He raised his body to act as a bridge for Daisy, who quickly crossed and hopped down on the river’s edge beside me.
“You two stay out of trouble now~! Toodles!” Steven said, waving goodbye before diving into the river and swimming off.
Me and Daisyheart stood there in silence as we watched his shadow beneath the water depart into the river’s horizon, before sharing a look. I chuckled, turning around to continue our trek.
“He was quite the character.” I said, ducking under a branch as we walked.
“That he is… He’s of the good sort though. Steven and I have been friends for a long time.” Daisy replied, stepping over an overturned log as she followed along.
We had spent most of the day just exploring the Everfree forest, making sure to keep within the bounds of my territory. Whenever I neared the border, I could see a wispy line of ghostly energy start to form on the ground, so that helped a little at least.
One of the landmarks in my territory appeared to be a sort of rocky mountain that was at least half-a-mile tall and half-a-mile wide. It was pretty barren looking, save for the odd dead tree here and there. Not to mention it was COVERED in holes, of which giant birds would periodically fly in and out of.
Apparently according to Daisy, this place was home to a giant flock of Rocs that lived here in the Everfree. They were an intelligent species, but they were also really aggressive towards outsiders, so they didn’t talk often. The voice from earlier piped up, saying something about the Rocs being ‘ripe for conquering’ or some such like that.
Ignoring it, I watched a giant bird the size of a car fly up the miniature mountain carrying some dead animal. The Roc was a beautiful creature, by all accounts. Made up of gray, brown, white, and gray-ish cyan feathers. Soon after spotting it, we left. I didn’t feel like getting mobbed if they happened to notice us.
As we approached the next point of interest, the trees around us began to get… Unsettlingly webby. That is to say, covered in large spider webs. Now, I don’t know about other folks, but I DO NOT like spiders. And the size of these webs suggested that they were of the fantasy variety. Giant.
“D-D-Daisyheart?” I asked worriedly, unable to keep my ‘dark lord’ voice up as the fear bled into my vocals.
“Yeeees?” Daisyheart returned promptly, moving in front of me to avoid a web. She seemed far too unfazed by this for my liking. As if this was just another walk in the park for her.
“A-are there… Giant spiders, here? In this area?” I probed, instinctively trying to make myself look smaller as we seemed to wander deeper within obvious giant spider territory.
“Oh! You mean the Gloamings? Yes, this is where they live, why? Ya scared?” She finished, her tone laced with teasing mischief.
“WHY WOULDN’T I BE!? They’re giant fucking spiders!” I exclaimed, stopping in my tracks as my fear began to get the better of me, my head whipping around, expecting to see a giant wolf spider pop out at any moment to eat me alive. In my hysteria, I somehow completely forgot I was in a full suit of armor thicker than a well-loaded lasagna.
“Awwwh, come on! They’re harmless! Well- No, that’d be a lie. But, they are peaceful.” She began, turning around to give me an amused look. “And they don’t eat other sentient creatures if that’s what you’re worried about.”
I didn’t care for the giggle that escaped her as I heaved a massive sigh, my hands going to my knees as I nearly doubled over with relief. If I had a physical body, I’d probably need a serious deep massage to work out all the tension in my body.
“So, correct me if I’m wrong, but these spiders- I mean, ‘Gloamings’ are sentient as well?” I queried, rising back to proper posture befitting a king. Daisyheart gave me an enthusiastic, sharp nod in response.
“Yep! Real friendly folks, too. Very family oriented. Last time I visited the Tucketts, I had to drag a big ol’ bag of leftovers and knitted sweaters home.” The doe said, a wide smile gracing her face as she thought back on the pleasant memory.
For me, personally, the thought of giant sentient spiders with the dispositions of friendly suburbanites was still more than off-putting. I held up a fist to my face, clearing my throat before speaking again.
“Well, I suppose that’s enough for today. I’m ready to return now.” I said, folding my hands behind my back. There was no way in hell I was meeting giant spiders today. I didn’t care if they were as warm and welcoming as the Weasleys were to Harry potter. I didn’t feel like being a rattling mess during the whole interaction.
“Oh, come on, Theo! They aren’t-” Daisy started before I interrupted her.
“This is not up for debate. We are going back.” I hissed down at her, getting a grumpy looking expression as a response. Sorry, sister. Even I have boundaries that I won’t cross. Giant spiders being one of them.
Out of nowhere, a wind kicked up and blew through the forest, sending a biting chill through everything present. Daisyheart couldn’t help but shiver violently for a moment as the wind passed over us, though I appeared to be relatively unaffected. Sure, it was a bit nippy, but nothing worth shivering over.
“Let’s hurry back, yeah? As creepy as that castle is, it’s warm. Ugh! Sweet Faust, I just had to be a Constable…” She grumbled, turning around to begin the trek home.
It seemed she didn’t fancy the cold too much. I couldn’t help but chuckle a little at that, earning myself a blow of raspberries from my companion. The levity certainly helped take my mind off the whole ‘giant spider’ thing.
Daisyheart and I said nothing as we walked, giving me ample time to rattle around my own brain. We passed the Roc Mountain again, taking care not to be seen, and crossed the river. I had to throw Daisy to get her across, chucking her into a bush on the other side.
She whooped with excitement as she burst forth from the bushes, and I was quite pleased to know I could throw somebody that far.
As we made our way back into more familiar territory, I silently mused to myself, wondering if I could change how my armor looked. This thought had me quite occupied as the ravine came into view, though the sight that greeted us made Daisyheart gasp in horror.
The sound shook me from my thoughts and I looked down at Daisy, puzzled. I immediately noticed she was in a battle stance, her eyes glaring at something further on. Following her vision, I felt myself stiffen as I noticed what had her so spooked.
Standing nearly as tall as I am, was a great ape, covered head to toe in a thick coat of fur. It appeared to be bent over what I soon realized to be the corpse of an animal. The beast’s hands were drenched in blood, its mouth and neck also stained with the crimson liquid. It looked at us, its beady eyes slowly widening as its facial features contorted with rage and wariness.
“Horse apples! It’s a freakin’ Sasquatch!” Daisyheart hissed under her breath beside me, her mind buzzing with escape routes or possible ways to fell the beast in a worst case scenario. She slowly began backing away, and I followed suit. Our eyes never left the Sasquatch, and its eyes never left us. It was almost like a staring contest, though the stakes were far higher than normal.
Even though dead and breathless, I held the air in my chest, my thoughts unable to even form as fear wracked my being. It was huge! And heavily muscled to boot. Not to mention a completely wild animal, one that I thought was just superstition or folklore. Not in horseland apparently.
The beast’s gaze seemed fixated on Daisyheart, its meager meal that lay dead upon the road apparently not enough for it. It wanted juicier prey. She seemed to know it, too, as she began quaking nearly as much as I was.
All was silent as we slowly backed up, praying that it would just become disinterested. But no. It took this as an invitation to start slowly yet surely advancing in our direction, the hunger in its eyes evident. As I tried to formulate some kind of plan, a loud crack ripped through the fragile silence, and I looked down to see that I had stepped on a stick.
The yeti bellowed a war cry, and leapt at Daisy, easily covering the distance in a single bound.
Time slowed as the creature paused mid-air. I found my limbs slow to respond, as if the air was molasses and my arms thin twigs. Was it fear that chained me? Maybe magic? I received no answer to my questions, but a voice did heed my call, a familiar one at that.
Strike it down.
…What?
STRIKE.
IT.
DOWN!
The voice bellowed, and time sped up once more. The Sasquatch came speeding at Daisy with the force of a cannon ball. But at the same moment time returned to the world, I was filled with a broiling rage and a strength of will that wasn’t mine.
That couldn’t have been mine.
One foot stepped forward, one arm cocked back, and I met the Sasquatch’s face with a gauntleted fist. I gave it all the force I could muster, and stopped the beast in its flight. A resounding crack filled the air as the Sasquatch flew several feet backwards, landing and rolling into a crouch. Blood poured from its nose, pooling in its heavily matted fur, making the red that much darker.
It once again bellowed a challenge, and I returned it with a metallic one of my own, prompting the both of us to clash once more in a contest of strength. Its hands met mine as we pushed against each other, and I glared a promise of death into its eyes, its face only several inches from my own.
With a primal ape-ish scream, the Sasquatch pushed with a ferocity I had not expected, my metal boots grinding into the earth. I was losing this battle of strength, and fast. All Daisyheart could do was watch worriedly from the sidelines as I was being overpowered.
I couldn’t lose here. If I did, Daisy would definitely die. I had only known her for a day, but the image that flashed into my mind, of Daisy being ripped apart by the beast before me… It filled me with unbridled rage, one that I thought had long since died.
Drawing my head back, I jerked forward, being rewarded with a sickening crunch as my helm collided with the Sasquatch’s face, breaking its nose further.
The beast wailed with pain as it staggered backwards. I immediately took this opportunity to advance, but just as quickly as I stepped forward, the Sasquatch recovered. Nearly in sync, me and the Sasquatch traded wild haymakers, the blow nearly knocking me off my feet. We then traded punches in quick succession, dents starting to form in my armor where the Sasquatch’s fist made impact.
As the Sasquatch readied another swing, I remembered that my gauntlets had clawed fingers, and used those to my advantage as I tore at the beast’s face with a well-timed swipe.
Blood erupted across its features, but it pressed onwards, catching me right on the edge of my helmet. The blow sent me staggering, and the Sasquatch took advantage of this. It brought another maul-like fist down on the back of my helmet, slamming me to the earth.
The ground rumbled and cracked with the impact, and as I lay there, trying to rise, It delivered another blow to my head, causing my strength to fail me. Daisyheart was paralyzed with fear as she watched this all unfold, her instincts screaming at her to run as the Sasquatch then turned its furious gaze to her. It stepped over my limp form and began making its way to her.
As I watched from the ground, I tried to rise, but my arms kept buckling under my weight. A hopeless feeling began to well within my chest, but the sight of the beast approaching Daisy washed it away like tears in a typhoon. The rage in my chest doubled, then tripled as the Sasquatch’s outstretched hand went to grab the quivering doe.
I wanted to tear that abominable thing limb from limb. I wanted to see its gore coat my hands. I wanted to make the horrid thing crumple under my might. I wanted to banish the fear from Daisy’s eyes. As the desires mounted, so too did my strength.
I WOULD tear that abominable thing limb from limb. I WILL see its blood and viscera coat my hands. I WOULD protect Daisy. I will.
I WILL.
AND NO FORCE OF THIS MORTAL COIL COULD STOP ME.
Before I even realized it, my hand was already clutched around the Sasquatch’s ankle. It yelped at the sudden contact, and howled in pain as I crushed the bones beneath its flesh. I dragged it down onto the dirt with me, fighting its panicked attempts to free itself all the while.
My eyes were wide with an otherworldly blaze as I broke its flailing arms one at a time.
I straddled its chest and delivered devastating punches to its face, before raising my fists into the air… And then swinging them down onto the Sasquatch’s face like a pair of sledgehammers, sending blood flying every which way.
But I wasn’t done.
I continued beating its skull into a bloody pile of flesh and brain matter, drenching my armor up to my elbows in its gore. Each punch and every sickening crunch did nothing to sate my anger.
I punched until its skull was dust, and then punched the stains further into the ground. When I finally realized I was punching the ground in my blood-drunk stupor, I paused, and slowly rose to tower over the beast’s corpse.
I looked down at my shaking hands, my gaze once more settling on the Sasquatch’s body. A few moments of silence passed before I reared back and let rip a victorious, tree-shaking bellow with the last vestiges of my rage.
That went on for what felt like eternity before I remembered where I was, who I was, and who I was with. I turned to Daisyshield, who now looked upon me with a mix of fear and awe. I reached out to her and she flinched, prompting me to draw my hand back as if it were struck. I looked down at my hands again, and I felt positively queasy.
“...I-...I’m sorry you had to see that. A-are you okay?” I asked, my voice hollow and numb. I had dropped my ‘Dietrich’ persona once more as I stepped away from the corpse, my hands still shaking. It took Daisy a moment to realize that I had spoken to her.
Briskly shaking her head, she pushed down the fear and gingerly got to her hooves, then made her way towards me. Daisyheart grimaced as she stepped over the pool of blood that had formed in the ground and started taking in the damage that the Sasquatch dealt.
“Am I okay? Yeah I’m okay, but Theo, you just took on a Sasquatch! Alone! Are YOU okay!? Look how banged up you are!” She said, fretting over the many dents in my armor.
The beast had certainly done a number on me. Though oddly enough, I didn’t feel any pain. Perks of being undead, I supposed. In fact, I felt… Stronger, somehow. Not by a truly significant amount, but it was noticeable. Stronger than I was before the fight began.
“Y-yeah, I think so.” I replied wearily, resisting the urge to push her away.
Daisy would probably give me an earful if I were to get blood in her fur, which brought an amused twinkle to my eyes. If I had a face, I would’ve smiled. She scoffed and shook her head, gesturing at the corpse behind her.
“Seriously, buck! you brutalized that thing! Normally it’d take like, six rangers to bring one down. Geez louise… Who needs rangers when you can take on a Sasquatch solo?” Daisyheart said jokingly, a valiant attempt to lighten the air. It seemed this scare did little to dampen her chipper spirit.
…But one thing’s for sure. She developed a new appreciation for her friend’s strength, and reminded herself to never get on his bad side.
“Alrighty. Let’s get you back to the river and clean you up. I don’t want you stepping into the castle covered in brain goo.”
I nodded and followed without complaint as we made our way to the river once more. There, I took the time to wash all the blood and gore off my hands and armor. Daisyheart stood off to the side, wishing she could help, but these waters would likely give any living creature (that weren’t fish or Steven Magnet) hypothermia within minutes. I didn’t mind though, as I cleaned myself thoroughly enough on my own.
As ordered by the constable, I did a little spin so that Daisy could check for any spots I might’ve missed. Luckily, I got the OK, and promptly pulled myself from the River. We resumed the walk to the castle with haste, as I was seriously missing my throne at this point, and the sun was starting to set.
Once we arrived at the castle and walked through the throne room, Daisyheart stopped before a door off to one side of the chamber, a hoof resting on its handle.
“Thank you, by the way.” She said in an uncharacteristically soft tone of voice, looking back at me with sparkling eyes and a gentle smile on her lips
“Whatever for?” I replied promptly, already slipping back into the ‘Dietrich’ persona. Daisy huffed, an amused look on her face as she stared up at me.
“You know what, you big doofus! You saved my life back there!” She said with a playful glare, jabbing a hoof in my direction. I had almost completely forgotten, being the airhead I was. Leave it up to me to forget the near-death encounter I just had. Though I was glad to see that she was still doing alright.
“Ah, yes. So I did. You’re quite welcome.” I replied quickly, which gave Daisyheart reason to chuckle and shake her head, looking up at the ceiling in apparent exasperation.
“Faust above, what am I gonna do with you…” She said to nobody in particular, a warm smile gracing her face as she locked eyes with me once again. That smile sent my nonexistent heart aflutter.
“Well, I think I’m gonna get some beauty sleep. Thanks again, that was probably the craziest date I’ve ever been on.”
Ruby gave a mischievous giggle as my posture visibly stiffened.
“Wait, t-that wasn’t-!” And she’s already gone. I could hear her giggles echoing within the hall as she walked away to her room. As the door swung shut, I sighed and let my posture relax.
Though, as I turned to walk up the steps to my throne, I felt a prickle on the back of my nonexistent neck. I could feel that, once again, I was no longer alone. Turning around, I found myself face to face with an apparition I found all too familiar.
The faint outline of Mordekaiser,
Lord of the dead,
Terror of Noxus,
Ruler of the Immortal Bastion, stared at me with contempt coloring the green fires that served as his eyes. I couldn’t quite believe what I was seeing. In that moment, I felt the piercing gaze of the mirage-like figure before me, and found myself wilting under it.
“Before you ask, yes, I am real, you blithering fool.” The mirage said, its voice utterly devoid of anything but cold annoyance. It stunned me into silence, his words prompting me to take a tentative step back.
“...T-t-that was you, w-wasn’t it? When I was f-fighting the S-s-sasquatch.” I stuttered in disbelief after several moments of silent staring.
Mordekaiser snorted, ghostly vapors flying from his ethereal helm as he spoke. He then stomped forward until he stood right in front of me, his ghostly footfalls echoing within the chamber with the weight of his authority.
“I refuse to let incompetence– no– weakness, fell me. Even if I am not the one who wields my form.” Mordekaiser leaned forward, seeming to loom over me despite being the same size. I felt my knees go weak as he leered down at me, my will almost subconsciously bent to his own.
“Listen, and listen well, whelp. You are nothing more than a pile of imposing scrap masquerading as a man of importance.” I shrank further in on myself as Mordekaiser spoke, each word driving themselves into what little confidence I had left like nails into soft wood.
Seeing him in the game, I thought the hulking mass of malice and metal was intimidating enough, but now? In the flesh?
Nothing could possibly compare.
“I-I, I did as you said- I-, I tried! I mean-” I stuttered my way through my response, unable to keep myself from shaking in The Iron Revenant’s presence. This was a fear I was all too used to, one that erupted from a dominating force, allowing no room for resistance. It left me feeling paralyzed and weak.
Mordekaiser shook his head, interrupting my incoherent babbling.
“Save your worthless breath for those who would care.” He stepped forward, standing barely a foot away with his ghostly helm inches from my far more corporeal one.
“Action. strength of will. power. Those are the core, fundamental foundations that drive any, and every world. Those are the only measures that matter.” Mordekaiser waved a hand behind himself, gesturing at a portal that had ripped itself open behind him. Beyond lay a blackened sky with a dark city that spread to the bleak horizon.
“If you desire to become more than a pathetic little woodland salamander pretending to wield a dragon’s might, then build upon those three things.” I could feel the ghost sneer at me behind his helm as his fist dropped.
“But you need purpose to do that don’t you, wretch? You need an external force to drive you onward.” He pointed at the door that Daisy left through as if he were a disappointed father pointing at a car his son just wrecked.
“You care for that beast, don’t you?” The apparition growled. After a moment of waiting, I realized he expected a response. I couldn’t summon the words, so I simply nodded hesitantly.
“Your will is weak; your power, empty; your mind, frail. If you dare to continue wearing my face, then make yourself worthy of it, or I will personally sunder your pet’s soul from its body.” With a final glare, Mordekaiser turned to go. His steps clanged hollowly as he walked, but just as he was about to pass through the portal, he paused. The ghost spoke in a grinding tone barely above a whisper.
“Consume your enemies with your soul-fire and become strong, or become mulch for the worms beneath your boots, whelp. Even this world of sickening weakness has its thorns.” The portal snapped close without a sound, but the Dread Lord’s words echoed through the chamber, as if will alone could sustain them, as if even his voice refused to die.
I was left staring, dumbfounded and frightened beyond all belief. But through the fearful cloud that darkened my thoughts…
…Mordekaiser’s words rang clear and true like a church bell.