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The armored band of knights trekked through the forest silently, not speaking in hopes to keep their position a secret.
Phil had scoffed at the idea of how paranoid the townspeople must be if they needed so many knights for one arrest. Once he found out who it was, he understood the paranoia completely.
One of the townsfolk had seen the witch buying herbs and alerted the council. She was also seen with a 'suspicious bundle' in her arms.The five men who were directed the way she went had caught up to her quickly on horses. They chased her down to a cabin in a clearing in the woods. The team scoured the surrounding clearing for traps before finally facing the witch dead on.
The team was prepared for a fight.
Not a witch laying on the floor. Technically she was on a previously white cot, now stained red with blood seemingly from an open wound on her stomach. Phil winced as he recognized one of their arrows lodged in her side. Her eyes were open, staring into the distance blankly.
All the men snapped their heads forward as her hair moved across her face, like it was being pulled away. Nobody thought it was the wind.
Is she alive? Was Phil's first thought. A foolish thought it was but he had no other explanation.
He nudged her with the toe of his boot and when he was sure she was dead, he searched for a different source that could have moved her hair.
Babbling erupted from her side. They all stiffened. Sure enough, when they peered over her dead body, a child was clinging to her corpse, playing with her hair, ignorant to her long gone eyes.
The baby startled as he saw the intruders. He pulled his mother's hair for her attention and when it never came, he sobbed. His sobbed grobly grew louder as they were still ignored. Dream stalked toward the child.
"Stop." He demanded. His cold tone only made him cry harder. "Someone shut the baby up." He cried, pressing fingers to his ears.
Phil, being the only one with prior experience with children, stepped forward and picked up the child. Resting on his hip, his sobs turned to sniffles as he relaxed against his shoulder. His cries were completely discarded as he ran his chubby little fingers through Phil's shoulder length hair. Phil smiled softly at him but Dream was not as easily swayed.
"It's dangerous. Just like it's mother."
"I know Dream."
"Then why are you smiling like a fool over it. Get rid of it."
"It still has many years to grow. We can teach him to be better."
"Have you lost your damn mind? There is no teaching that thing."
"Just give him a chance Dream. He will not end up like his mother. I promise. I will even volunteer to take care of him myself."
"So you have gone mad." Punz spoke up from Dream's side. "Caring for the witch's child? Some fool you are to believe you can tame a beast as wild as that."
"I swear. He will be better. I'll make sure of it."
"Enough of this Philza." Dream's tone was condescending. "Get rid of the child by morn. If you can't, I will. I can promise a quick death for a thing so young but nothing more."
Phil looked at Techno in horror. He didn't want the child to die. But Techno's gaze was trained on Dream, Punz, and Sapnap. They all looked rather appalled by the idea of the witch's child living in their town.
"Come now Phil. You already have a son to take care of. Wilbur was it? He is a strong boy but he is weak in the mind. He will crumble without you. Would you really lose him in return of a child of sin?"
"Did you just threaten me?" Now it was Phil's tone that was sharp. "I'll have you know that out of everyone here you've only bested two of us in training and I am not one of them." He waved vaguely to Sapnap and Punz, careful of the baby still attached to his hip.
"I'd say we could take you. 1 on 3 seems pretty unfair to me. Plus you are at quite the disadvantage." Dream smiled wickedly as he flicked his hand toward the baby. His smile only grew more as Phil watched Techno join Dream, his eyes cast down in an almost shameful way. "Make that 1 on 4."
Phil's eyes burned at the betrayal but he refused to cry.
"Tech..?" He hated the way his voice wobbled. He was a knight for prime's sake. Knights don't cry.
Techno raised his head. His eyes were glossy but like Phil, he refused to let the salty tears spill on to his cheeks.
"Last chance Philza. Hand over the baby and we won't have to fight you. Please." Dream showed no remorse in his voice.
"I can't do that Dream. I'm sorry. But you don't have to fight me. I will take him and be on my way."
"No. I can't let you do that. Truly I am sorry." Dream sighed as he unsheathed his sword. "You could have been a great warrior."
Techno steps forward, his chin held high as he makes eye contact with Phil.
'Run' he mouths and Phil is sprinting to his horse, baby close to his chest. He doesn't need to turn around to see how Techno fares against the three of them. He has faith in his friend. There is a reason he is undefeated in matches.
The clinking of swords follows him all the way home.
He is half way through packing his bags when Techno arrives at his doorstep, Wilbur in tow.
"You can't just leave Phil." He tries to reason.
"They will come for me Tech. You know that. I'm leaving and you can't stop me." He turns to Wilbur. "You've grown up here so it is your choice if you want to stay." He says, cupping his cheek as he does. "Would you like to stay, or go with me? We can live in a log cabin like you always wanted yeah?"
Wilbur does not answer. Instead he grabs a satchel and starts to fill it with things he may need.
Phil looks back at Techno. "You can't stop me old friend. But I do wish for you to come with me. I have no doubt you are strong but you are still human. Please, come with me."
He allows one tear to fall before quickly wiping it away. Phil is not above begging at this point but he is above crying.
"Okay."
"Thank you." Phil breathes a sigh of relief. He didn't know what he would do if Techno or even Wilbur said no.
The baby babbles happily at them, making hands to Phil.
"And what have you decided to name this little one?" Techno asks, smiling as the baby wraps his hand around his finger.
"Tommy."
"I like it."
Wilbur comes back, carrying a bag of his things and another smaller, less filled bag.
"For the baby." He explains with a bashful smile.
"Thank you songbird." Phil smiles.
So they set off. A new member added to their ragtag family, the yells of Dream and his knights left behind in the dust with the lives they once knew.