Chapter 5

"You look great mate," Phil says, proud of his work.

I look down at myself then turn to look at my reflection in the window. The black night sky makes the perfect background for me to see my new outfit.

"Philza…"

I hadn't been so sure when Phil had told me about the cold – the biting freeze that stabbed straight through my thin coat. But then I felt it and instantly agreed that something had to change. So, he had taken his things and my cape that I held dearly to my heart and stowed himself away for a full day. As I twiddled my thumbs, because I had been banned from going outside until I had suitable attire, Philza slaved over an amazing outfit.

"It's amazing."

~ You look like a fool.

I wear a light-blue tinted pair of baggy trousers tucked into a solid pair of black boots with a similarly coloured blouse to suit. Draped over my shoulders is my cape, except that it only reaches to the middle of my back, the rest of it braided with a thick grey material that cinques my waist. And seemingly everything I wear has white fur on the end,

~ That will stain red very easily.

"For camouflage and to keep warm." The green-eyed man states from behind me, seemingly reading my mind.

"How do you possess such skill?" I ask, still gawking at my reflection.

"Years of practice son!" He says with a laugh as he comes into my peripheral. The candlelight makes him look haggard as he holds a lantern at his navel. "Say, when-"

Phil is cut off at a loud knock at the door. We both freeze and then in sync unsheathe the closest weapon we have. I put a finger to my lips and point to the door and he nods.

We creep up to the door and the adrenaline heightens my senses.

~ Time to die intruders!

"What if they're hostile mate!" A muffled voice cuts through the silence, followed by a shushing. The masculine voice on the other side of the door has a strange accent, unlike anything I had ever heard, and it was obvious that they weren't very good at whispering.

"Well, I guess we'll find out," Another replies, an accent more similar to that of Phil, Wilbur and Tommy; I had long since lost that accent, for I had left long ago.

A knock shatters my observations, followed by someone slapping someone else on the arm and the second voice muttering something about manners. I sigh and against Phil's silent displays of disagreeing I swing open the door.

Stood in the doorway is a shorter man with black hair and a deep blue shirt, almost black in the darkness. Standing next to him is a taller man that's made of a substance that looks strangely like bread. A sugary frosting makes his features and he look into my eyes with a wide grin. They both look slightly elderly.

"Hello!" He says eagerly, "It's a bit cold isn't it,"

The other man seems to snap out of his shock and sticks out a hand quickly, for me to shake. I leave it there and look back to the 'bread-man'.

"Who are you and what do you want?" I question bluntly, axe still grasped in my hand, albeit a little lazily as I take in the two men.

~Don't get buddy-buddy with them, you'll get attached, like always

"Oh," The shorter one says, taken aback,

"I'm Lannan, Lannan Lazar Beam. This here is Vik. It's bloody cold and we're trying to find a… child by the name of Tommy Innit, you know him?"

I hear Phil sigh heavily and I step aside as his guiding hand reaches my back.

"What's he done this time?" Philza says, ever a tired father.

"Done…? No it's-" Lannan begins, before Vik buts in,

"No, I was summoned here by the child for a presidential campaign, of sorts?"

I snort aloud and Vik looks at me, almost offended.

"You're a bit late for that," I explain, "even I wasn't here for that one."

Confused silence comes over them and they stand, speechless. Then Vik holds up a single finger, poking into his own cheek,

"So, what you're saying is, no L'Manburg?" He says slowly,

I sigh and Philza rumbles,

"No, it's still there."

"Just different." I agree

The confusion etched into their faces doesn't fade and Lannan furrows his blue sugary brows.

"Well, where is it?" He stutters, turning to Vik, "We went the right way, right?"

"I'm sure we did…" Vik says, obviously puzzled.

"Boys," Phil says loudly, pointing in the direction of said country, "gotta keep going, still a far ways travel yet."

They scratch their heads in synchrony. Phil sighs and I look down at him. He's rubbing the bridge of his nose and somewhere deep inside of me laughter bubbles.

~ They are too dumb to be left alive.

"We'll take you," I say, swinging my arm around Phil, "It's not too far and we wouldn't want you getting lost on a night like this."

Phil smiles at them, but as soon as the pair look at each other Phil glares at me, and I grin down at him.

Let's see just how dangerous they are.

~~~~~

"There was a disc war or something, I don't know, nobody cares. Then I got here and there was a festival and Tubbo got executed, I don't know, kid seems to always get into trouble. Uh, Schlatt was a dictator and there was a revolution where pretty much everyone betrayed him, and he had a heart attack or a stroke… I think. Anyway, he died and Tubbo was elected president and I was kinda upset… so I started stabbing people then spawned some Withers and Wilbur blew the place up, then Phil killed him and yeah, Wil's now a ghost. Anyway, they have a new government, I'm retired and Dream's being a dictator, which is no surprise, and Tubbo banished Tommy to appease Dream. And you know, it's Tommy so eh."

Lannan and Vik look at me wide eyed as I calmly rattle off a summary of the past years. I puff slightly, not used to walking this far. L'Manburg is in sight at least, blocking the now rising sun.

"So, where's Tommy now?"

"He's back that way," I point back the way we came but more to the right, "west of our house."

"Oh, have you seen him?"

"Yeah…" Memories of pointing and laughing in his face surface and I hide my smile.

"Right so, not much loyalty in L'Manburg, aye?" Lannan says with an awkward chuckle,

"Exactly! And they called me a traitor."

An awkward silence fills the air as we continue to trek. L'Manburg was close now, obsidian wall almost blocking out the sun.

"Withers, huh?"

I turn to grin at Vik and am met by a set of blank white eyes.

~ DEMON!

My trident swings to their neck and a sharp, toothy grin appears out of the darkness. My trident sits at their red hood, and I realise that I don't know where their neck even is.

"Hey Techno!" The demon chirps and I instantly relax when I realise it's Bad. I had only spoken to the... man a few times but was quite well acquainted with his friend and ally, Skeppy. "I saw you walking over, are you going to destroy the government again?"

I look over awkwardly at my new friends and say,

"I was showing around my new friends."

"OH!" Bad exclaims as he spins around. He darts towards them and claps with two clawed hands. "Are you Vik? And Lazar? I've heard so much about you!"

An awkward chatter begins as Bad leads Vik and Lannan further towards L'Manburg. Phil and I look at each other and awkwardly follow, like the friends that had to walk behind the main group. It isn't awkward around Phil though; I am used to being in comfortable silence with him.

"Should I start swearing?" Phil whispers to me and I look down at him with a smile. He stares up at me with a cheeky grin. Bad was well known for being the most angelic demon you had ever met; he was very against swearing or any innuendos of the sort. I nod subtly and Phil coughs, saying 'fuck' in the middle. Bad swings around mid-sentence and squints at Phil.

"Sorry mate, got a tickle in my throat." At this point everyone had frozen to look at the grinning pair behind them and Bad huffs aloud.

"Language."

Phil and I bust out laughing, as we continue on our way.

~~~~~

"VIKKSTAR?" A loud voice rings out, followed by very hoarse coughing. Everyone looks up to the top of the obsidian walls and a stout young man stands in front of the rising sun.

"Uh, yes?" Vik calls out, peering up, "And, who are you?"

The person calls out to give them a second and we all stand and wait. Lots of tumbling and curses can be heard and Bad whispers 'language' under his breath. Then a burly man swings his way out of a gap in the wall that I hadn't noticed until just now. I blink rapidly as the person comes fully into view.

"Tubbo?" Multiple of us exclaim and I squint at him. He looks like he had aged years, a full-grown man now. He had obviously been working on himself, muscles bulged out of his bare arms and my eyebrows raise. He glances at me, and I look away awkwardly, not wanting to be seen admiring the scars, my handiwork.

"Hi guys!" Tubbo hollers, opening his arms wide. Bees fly out towards me, and I slap my neck as I stringer pierces my flesh. "Welcome to NEW L'Manburg!" He then turns to address Phil and I, mostly me, and says sharply,

"Not you, Technoblade." I look around uneasily, "You can fuck off."

"Woah, woah," Lannan steps over, "what's with the hostility? These are our friends."

"These are no friends of mine."

A silence becomes us, and I shuffle on the spot.

"Language…" Everyone turns to Bad and if his misty black being could blush, he would have been as red as his cloak. Tubbo clears his throat and swings an arm out towards the hole in the wall and a figure fluidly dodges out of the way. Dream stands there, ever smiling mask on his face and ever present axe in his hand. Without a word he puts out a hand for me to shake. I shake it.

"Sorry Dream," Tubbo shrinks back slightly, "Uh yeah, welcome!"

"What's up with the walls?" Lannan asks, still eyeing Dream suspiciously. "They're a bit… unsightly."

"L'Manburg can be independent, but L'Manburg can't be free." Dream says shortly and Tubbo looks down, ashamed and probably annoyed.

~ Foolish child can't even fight for his lands it seems.

Tubbo snaps out of his shame-filled trance and leads Vik, Lannan and Bad into the crack in the wall, talking of how they should join L'Manburg. Apparently, the prices were very affordable. Dream follows behind and we nod our goodbyes. Lannan looks over his shoulder and mouths 'later' and continues to listen uncertainly to Tubbo.

"I suppose we aren't welcome." Phil says shortly, scratching the back of his neck.

"I suppose not."