barbarism (dreamnoblade)

chapter nine

Two wooden swords clash together in a wide, grassy field. The sun beams down without a care in the world, the threat of rain and storm nonexistent.

His grip tightens as he swings once again at his older brother's blade, who stumbles back and tries to keep balance. Technoblade immediately senses an opportunity and uses his blade to swipe at his feet, effectively tripping him over. Wilbur tumbles into the soft grass while letting out a string of curses too vulgar for his age.

"Aw c'mon Techno! Go a little bit easy on me!" The oldest exclaims and reaches for his sword, which Technoblade kicks away before he can grab. A smirk paints his face as he points the scuffed wood edge to his neck dramatically.

"If you wish to defeat us, train for another two years!" His finger runs along the rough wood, tracing the scratches embedded into the dark oak.

"No fair, you have tons of training!" Wilbur pouts and lets out a sigh, breathing in the warm afternoon breeze.

"Can I fight him nowww? Please!" The youngest of the trio, Tommy, leaps up from his spot under the tree, dashing towards them, "I'm definitely gonna beat you this time!"

"The result will always be unchanging, but go for it!" Technoblade exclaims pridefully, feeling the Blood God cheering him on.

The pinkette readies himself for more fighting when Wilbur suddenly grins devilishly and grabs Tommy by the arm, pulling him close and whispering into his ear.

This immediately puts Technoblade on guard, his eyes watch as something shiny is placed into Tommy's hands. He can't make out what it was but it was small enough to fit in his palm comfortably.

"What are you doing?" The only response he gets is giggles, which fills him with even more suspicions. Sometimes his brothers were mean in their mischievous plots, he knew they didn't mean it and father said it's just what brothers do. He still struggled to understand family dynamics, all he knew were leaders, followers and sacrifices. He wasn't used to being on the same level as his peers.

"Nothing~ Let's fight!" Tommy straightens himself up and holds the sword in one hand, his other a closed fist to hide whatever he was given.

The piglin hybrid raises an eyebrow and extends his sword to prepare himself for a fight.

Technoblade strikes first, swinging his sword with enough ferocity to launch Tommy backward. He almost stumbles to the ground when Tommy yelps and suddenly throws something at the grass. His gaze follows the object until it clinks against the dirt, whatever it was- it glimmers in the heat. Almost like a drop of sunlight dipped in glitter, the twinkling pulls his gaze and keeps him captivated- he can't make himself look away. He can't even scan his surroundings until something slams into his chest and knocks him over.

"Aha- It actually works!" Wilbur laughs along with Tommy while Techno stares at the sky in confusion, still trying to figure out what just happened. The grass is soft under his arms and hooves, the warmth a blanket cast over his body from the sunlight.

Wilbur senses this and stands up to pick up the object, "it's gold! I learned from school that piglins get distracted by gold and wanted to test it on you!"

"That's cheating!" Technoblade growls in annoyance and stands back up, "that's not a fair way to beat me!"

"No strategy is cheating if it solves the problem, you're just mad you lost." Wilbur sings and waves his hand around, Technoblade is able to concentrate on his brother, refusing to fall for it twice.

"I'm not mad about losing! I'm mad that you cheated!" Frustration bubbles in his gut like a volcano, rising to his throat in the form of a growl. He was being used like a test subject again, his face blushes in embarrassment and humiliation.