Achilles, Achilles, Achilles come down // DNF (dreamnotfound)

Today of all days see - part 3

"I'm Dream," he answered unsure of what the human might think of him

Seconds passed as if they were years, and the human seemed to be processing what was happening. From the human's point of view, the god thought, the god surely was some kind of crazy dude who had nothing better to do than stalk people.

But the human- not the human, George. But George smiled.

"That's such a unique name."

In that moment he received a name. He had never dared to even dream about receiving such a low thing as a name. But, somehow, that name felt like it was alright to be used.

"Pleased to make acquaintances, Dream."

Dream smiled.

"The feeling is mutual."

***

"What do you think you're doing?" he heard a voice when he returned to what he liked to call home.

It was far in the woods, a cave covered in furs and moss, with pink stones and a fresh source of running water right in front of it. It was not as good as the humans' houses, but a god doesn't sleep out of necessity, and a god hardly stays in one place for too long, so it was good enough for him and the god who decided to stay with him.

Dream didn't even bother to turn and face the one who was talking to him. He already knew what he was about to hear, that discourse about never getting attached to things that are ephemeral, not even out of curiosity, if he didn't want to end the way other gods ended.

"I've been enjoying my day before you disturbed me."

His sassiness was uncalled for, he was aware of it. But he was already fed up with the words he knew were about to be said. Were those words true? Irrefutable. Did he acknowledge the truth? Only when convenient. And by no means did he feel like in a convenient situation.

Unfortunately for him, the god of fire had other plans.

"Do you remember the god of night?"

He flinched upon hearing about the god of night. After all who didn't remember him spiraling into madness while calling for revenge upon human kind after his most beloved human died a violent death?

He wasn't sure that he wanted to hear that story once again, so he pretended that he didn't hear the question and slowly distanced himself from the other god.

"I'm saying this for your own good."

"I don't want to hear it. I really don't."

The god of fire looked at him with a grave face, but a glimmer of understanding was noticeable in his eyes. He slowly nodded and smiled with a sad expression.

"I don't want you to end up like him."

"I won't," Dream hoped.

He only saw the human for a few times, but he already felt attached to him after having a conversation with him. He wasn't sure if he could prevent himself from going mad and losing his essence if something was to happen to that human.

The god of fire was his closest friends, if positive connections between gods could be named the same way humans named their connections. They knew each other since forever, they came into existence in the same place, and he could not imagine his life without the god of fire in his life.

He wanted to tell him about his conversation with George, but he knew how his friend would react. He knew that once the god of fire heard about that little interaction, everything would be over for him. The god of fire would make him go somewhere else, on the other side of the globe maybe, or would call for the goddess of life and she would heavily punish him.

But a wondering question was jumping on his mind like a child on a slime.

"Is it that bad to get to know a human?" he asked, nearly whispered.

The god of fire didn't answer immediately. Dream feared that his friend didn't hear his question, being well aware that he wouldn't be able to ask that question ever again. He feared that his friend was deliberately ignoring him, which was much worse than not hearing him.

But, when he lifted his face from the ball of furs he rested his head on, he noticed his friend pondering his answer. The god of fire sighted in defeat before answering.

"I... don't know. We were thought to never interact with them, but the god of night did it anyway. And- and we knew him."

The god of night used to travel barefoot through the big grass filled with wild flowers or jump from rock to rock in the river whenever he accompanied them. He was one of the oldest gods, one of the gods they respected the most and considered the equivalent of what humans call brotherly figure.

"He was always with us wherever we went. And then he wasn't anymore. He fell for a weak human who wasn't even able to hold a weapon straight. You weren't there when it happened, but I was. It was a war between two countries, you might remember, and that human died a pathetic death."

While being on night watch, a few soldiers from the other army invaded his camp. He was the first one to die. Dream heard that the man's lifeless body was found beheaded with his limbs chopped out, lying besides his body, and his head was thrown in the river and found between the rocks.

He tried to bring him back to life. He begged the goddess of life to do that, but she refused saying that his soul was already in eternal happiness. But the god of night wanted no matter the cost to bring his human back to life. And he got mad while trying while that human's body rotted to the point of having dust instead of bones.

"He- He changed. He wanted me to be the host of that human's soul."

Dream shivered upon hearing such words. Hosting somebody's soul was impossible, the goddess of life herself made sure of that, but in theory it would mean that two souls lived inside the same body. The body would eventually crumble to dust and become nothing while two life forces sucked the resources of it.

"I don't want you to go through that. I don't want to lose someone I care about. That's why- That's why I don't want us to get in contact with humans. That's why I was angry."

Dream didn't know what to say. His friend was right after all, he always was wrong when such important matters were concerned. But the thought of never being able to speak to George again after finally doing so deeply hurt his soul, or whatever gods had where a soul was supposed to be.

"I'm okay with you observing that human from afar, we all do that sometime. But promise me that you won't ever talk to him."

Dream was silent.

"Please," his friend insisted.

"I promise," Dream lied.

°°°
Hi guys!! First of all, I thank you all from the bottom of my heart for reading this third part of the first chapter till the end.

This is actually my first time publishing a dream smp fanfiction so I do hope that you enjoyed this chapter. I feel like it is an appropriate introduction to the story.

Also, quick question: who do you think the god of fire is? (ik it's easy to tell, but I do have something big in mind for him)