Essek & the Mighty Nein One-shots

You are Worth Protecting

(Look, I got fed with Essed content episode 124 and this is the brainchild that resulted; I saw a shameful little angsty floaty boy scared that he's gonna die and literally saw every one of the Mighty Nein internally vow that if anyone touches their boi, they'll commit murder and I love them for that. If after this Nonagon-world-ending catastrophe is handled, I fully expect an assassination attempt on our floaty boi and I am fully expecting it'll fail miserably and result in the MN going to tear down the Cerberus Assembly. It's gonna be great. Do I hear protective Mighty Nein/found family? Yes. Yes I do.

Word count: 5179)

It had been a long fucking day. Essek felt his head throb along with his many wounds and winced as he felt some broken bone of his twist into his side. He could not wait to lay down and just sink into his pillows and furs that offered some solace in this frozen wasteland.

This was...

This was very different than what he had been expecting. I mean, when you save the world aren't you supposed to feel happy? Aren't you supposed to leap and jump and laugh because wow, we survived and we did it, aren't you supposed to feel happy? Shouldn't there be laughs and cheers filling the sky instead of this ringing silence that filled the area like the hum of disappointment Essek had grown up listening to?

"We're alive," Jester's sorry attempt at being positive prompted a collection of groans and complaints from the rest of the party as they trudged their way back to the familiar outpost that had been Essek's home for the past few months.

"I think... I think I broke my tailbone," Fjord grimaced as he limped along.

"Ooh, that's... that's unfortunate, you're gonna hurt tonight. I'd help out with that - " Caduceus winced - their poor healer looked like he'd been through hell and back with a bloody nose and way too many bruises darkening his fur.

"No - no, I'm good," Fjord squeaked in fake bravado.

"Yeah, I'm like - ALL out of spells," Jester explained.

"Uh, ja, feeling that we all are rather... drained," Caleb breathed from his place along Essek. Essek's eyes were drawn to that terrible gash along the wizard's chest from that monster's scimitars.

He'd looked so weak at that moment, locked in an anti-magic zone with the full force of a purple tiefling zealot showing no mercy - absolutely helpless. Essek clenched his trembling hands and took another pained step... he'd been helpless too.

His spells, his abilities, all of them were useless when those red eyes turned on him. His knees trembled at the memory of that predatory gait his foe had taken as he readied to down yet another wizard, leaving Caleb a collapsed mess of red and rags.

Essek let out a pained cough and felt his throat closing up on him with the sheer thought of that situation.

"I'm feeling so fucking broken - I vote... we skip whatever celebration and just... crash." Beau's assertion was met with a jumble of collective agreements.

"We'll just be out in the open today - I cannot even make the dome," Caleb murmured.

"We will have protection as soon as we are in the outpost," Essek assured him.

Light, Essek couldn't wait to feel safe.

"Almost there," Veth chirped helpfully.

"Yeah, almost," Fjord winced with another step.

They made it, obviously, dragging themselves into the outpost like a collection of broken dolls. Essek recognized the look of horror and worry on his men and smiled a bit at the concern. H ensured that the Mighty Nein were treated to first and foremost - they'd thrown themselves into the thick of that madness like idiots and suffered the worst of the wounds. Any healers left over to help him were treated like fucking saviors because as soon as some of the hurt was gone Essek found himself able to breathe again.