TRYST // Philza X Reader

18

The castle was under siege. The pillager army was large enough that it looked like it's own beast down on the field, snaking into places where the walls had fallen in due to the constant catapult damage. Their flags fluttered on the field - the same image of a stern face with icy blue eyes. Your heart froze in your chest as you looked down on the chaos and the steady progression of the army into the castle. Bodies littered the field around the place, evidence of a battle past. 

Your concentration was drawn away when Phil slipped an arm around the small of your back, holding you closer to him. "Phil?"

His face was set in grim determination. "Hold on, alright?" He said. "And don't lose that Totem - we might need it."

You gripped on tighter as you felt the muscles in Phil's back move, and his wings narrowed, letting you dip towards the ground like a bullet. Wind rushed around your ears as the castle came closer, and the pillager army came into focus more. Flashes of color caught your eye as you realized it wasn't just pillagers and vindicators and the like - the pink skin of Piglins caught your eye, and the deep almost-black of Endermen. You even caught a few humans in the mix, just as ferocious as the rest of the mob.

The king's guard was nowhere to be seen - probably already pushed deeper into the castle to try and stave the invaders off as best they could. There was no telling how long this battle had been going on though - it had been weeks since you had last been here. Nerves thrummed under your skin as you felt the adrenaline start pumping, just looking down at the battle. There was no telling how many people were already dead. 

Phil's wings flared out again, catching you in midair and letting you hover for a second as one of the flaming balls the catapults were shooting blazed by - close enough that you could feel the heat on your skin. The hand around your back tightened as you spun away, making a beeline for behind the castle walls. 

You ducked around a tower, flying close to the stone and following the swirling pattern down into the castle proper, coming to land in one of the courtyards; nearby a little fishpond. As soon as Phil's feet touched the ground, he was helping you down, hands running over your wrists to make sure you didn't fall. "Okay?"

"Okay." You said, breath a little shaky. You took a moment to stabilize your breathing, just feeling the ground under your feet again. In this little garden, it almost felt like there wasn't a war raging just inside of the castle walls - but the rumble of the walls and the shouts carried through the air said otherwise. 

Phil's hand wandered down to your hip again, checking that the Totem was still in your pocket. When he felt the weight of it there he visibly relaxed somewhat, withdrawing his hand in order to shuck off the travelling bag, letting it fall to the ground. 

"The bag-" You started. 

"We have other things to worry about." Phil said, eyes darting around for the nearest way back into the castle proper. "We need to find that bastard Etienne."

You began scanning around the garden for a way back inside as well, finally finding it when you peered between two trees. "Over here." You said, grabbing Phil's wrist to tug him along with you. You breezed through the courtyard, the tendrils of flowers whipping at your ankles as you made for the door. 

It was unlocked when you tried the handle, and you pushed it open, holding it so that Phil could angle himself so that his wings would fit inside the hallway. People were dashing about inside - guards running towards the breach and palace staff running away from it, grabbing anything of value that they could as they fled the place. You almost got swept away by the crowd, but Phil grabbed your shoulder, pulling you back to him. 

"Do you know the way to the throne room?" He asked, voice slightly raised to be heard over the din. 

You shook your head - the only time you had been inside the palace before was when the king had called you, and you had come in from the front gates. You had no idea where inside the building you were, and no way to know how close to the throne room it was. 

It didn't matter though, because soon enough a shout rang above the rest, coming from down the hallway. 

"Philza!"

You both turned to see a young man dressed in a colorful military jacket pushing his way through the crowd towards you, pure white eyes  blown wide and focused on Phil. Herobrine's son. You glanced to Phil to see him looking over the boy, obviously marking the differences between him and his father. 

He stopped when he reached you and Phil, sticking out a hand in greeting. "I'm Eret." He said, shaking yours and Phil's hands quickly. "I'm sorry for the rushed introduction, but we saw you approach from down in the battle - the king is looking for you."

You could see Phil open his mouth to say something, but he was interrupted when something from the catapults hit the palace walls, causing the hall you were standing in to shake and a sheet of loose rubble to rain down from where the stone ground against each other. Obviously remembering that there was a battle going on outside, Phil thought better of it, nodding. "Right." He said. "Lead the way."

Eret smiled thinly, heading off back in the direction he had come from. Phil followed along, and you stayed in his wake, doing your best not to get trampled by the waves of people still making a break for it and running towards the back of the palace. 

Even with the Totem in your pocket, you couldn't help but feel like you were walking to your doom.