A Faithful Memory

Nightmares and Death

Winter was harsh. The snow piled up beside each house in the village until every window only showed icy crystals crackling against the glass. Cold silence reigned outside as the flakes kept falling, and everyone was glad for the fireplaces which gave them warmth. Only creepers came out in this cold, but even they had not been seen for some time, so around the whole village lay a sheet of clean, unbroken snow. Except around one house.

Philza sat on his chair next to the fire, his wings hunched around himself, reading a book. A cup with some hot liquid steamed beside him on a wooden stool, while fingerless gloves protected his hands from the chill seeping into the home from every conceivable corner. Though his eyes scanned each line carefully, it was plain his attention was elsewhere. The slightest sound from outside and he would immediately look towards the door, half-rising from his chair already. But no one had yet come, so there Philza sat, worried and fidgety, trying to calm himself through reading.

He was worried about Technoblade. The hybrid had insisted on building a house as quickly as possible, despite his half-piglin weakness to cold. "This place can hardly be called a house, Phil." Techno had scoffed, flipping his hood over his ears and securing his cape to his shoulders. "It's more like a closet. We're goin' to need somethin' better." And so he had headed out, disregarding his friend's attempts to help. "Stay inside, Phil!" He'd called.

Philza tapped his fingers on the arm of his chair. If he had any decent protection from the cold, he would have gone out there anyway. But his wings alone were not enough to keep him from freezing, and the only coat he had was patched and thin, unserviceable for winter. Techno had his cape, his jacket, and his iron will. None of which would prevent frostbite. Philza's wings folded more securely around himself.

Eventually the angel closed his eyes, giving up on the book altogether. He put it beside his cup on the stool, leaned forward in his chair and rested his elbows on his knees, clasping his hands together. For several minutes he sat there, listening. The fire licked at birch logs in the fireplace, a chilling wind whistled and moaned around the house and if he strained hard enough, Phil could just catch the sound of the draft in his temporary shelter. A slight frown creased his forehead. Where was Technoblade? He should have been back before now. Phil had told him to be careful in the cold, but it was like his friend had something to prove. He'd laughed off Philza's fretting and strode outdoors as though he were going on a walk. "You rest up, Phil." He'd called over his shoulder. "I'll be fine!"

Philza's fingers tightened until his knuckles turned white. It wasn't even that long ago that Techno had nearly succumbed to the cold, and yet there he went, back out into it again. "He'll be fine." Phil muttered. "He'll be fine. He said he'd be-"

Footsteps crunched in the snow and a muffled grunt punctured the semi-stillness outside. The angel sat bolt upright. "Techno?" He rose and made for the door.

"Calm down, Phil, I'm fine." Techno snorted, stomping the snow from his boots and shaking out his red cape, now damp with the powdery stuff. "You worry too much, you know that?" He pushed the door closed and turned to face the angel, removing his crown. "I got most of the wood and stone we need. It's all stacked where I need it now. First thing tomorrow, I'll get started clearin' a space to build."

"Give yourself a rest, mate." Phil said, holding out the still-hot cup to Techno, who gratefully accepted it. "You've been working in the freezing cold for a week straight. You need a day off."

Techno gulped the drink, "Technoblade never dies, Philza. I'll be fine, I know my limits. And let me tell you, winter's not one of them."

"If you say so." Phil could only shake his head and laugh. "But it's still hard to believe."

Techno huffed. "I can keep going for a while before I need any rest. It's how I'm made." He put the empty cup back in the stool and trudged over to the bed to sit down. "Anyway, I'll stop for today. It's startin' to snow real hard out there, so there's not a lot I can do til tomorrow." He ran both hands through his thick, tousled hair with a long sigh.