PHOENIX

Chapter Forty One: Family

The stark contrast of the chilling December wind and the burning sensation in my veins had powered me through my next actions, my legs leading me subconsciously away from Eret's castle, and onto the wooden path that connected everything. My brain felt equally empty and flooded with thoughts of anger and hurt. I had already decided that I wasn't hanging around the SMP territory any longer; I had outstayed my welcome there, even if it felt like home.

The first person I encountered was Callahan, who was kind enough to point out I was still aflame. It took a moment, but I forced my headache to return, which sent me tumbling to my knees. Somehow, I managed to not completely pass out while I had felt the fire subside.

"Shit..." I muttered, rubbing my head and looking back at Callahan when my vision cleared.

Callahan only nodded in understanding, and I was almost brought to tears knowing someone else knew what I was going through.

"Thank you, Callahan. I..." I shuddered, holding myself. "I don't know what to do."

Taking a sharp breath in, I knew I had to keep my mind moving or else I'd crumble.

"But I need to ask you one more favor. We both know you know more than you let on. So who's that guy with the wings?"

Callahan's eyes widened in interest, and with a small sigh he jerked his head in a direction as if saying, "Follow me."

I thought it would've been a lot harder to get a lead on mysterious wing-man, but the hard part was stumbling past the crater that once was my childhood. Callahan had stopped walking for a moment when he noticed the way I was shaking.

I had only seen the destruction briefly during the war, but it looked a thousand times worse than I had remembered. The chasm had formed where Tommy and I had dueled so long ago, water from the small lake that was once within our walls was now pouring into the newly formed holes everywhere, and worst of all, the camarvan was nowhere in sight.

There was a pain in my chest that I knew would live there forever, like the scar that Schlatt gave me long ago.

Callahan shook his head and placed an arm on my shoulder, finally pushing me to tears.

I let out a sob, hiding my face in my hands. Callahan tugged me into a side hug, and had helped me continue walking, making sure the destruction stayed out of my eyesight as we continued on.

I only allowed myself to grieve until it felt like we were close to wherever Callahan was leading us, and gave Callahan a squeeze in thanks before moving away from his embrace. We stopped suspiciously close to Pogtopia, and I was seconds away from nixing the whole plan when Callahan pointed to a large body of water in front of us.

"Um, Callahan? That's a lake."

Callahan gave me a look that said, "No shit."

He pointed again, this time more animated than before. I squinted, noticing something wooden under the smooth blue tint of the water. Before I could question it, the wood was thrown open, almost like a door opening, and out came a large pink haired man that wore a familiar pig mask.

On the walk to Technoblade's new house, he told me everything about Phil. That was the name of wing-man, who I also found out was my father.

If it had been anyone else telling me, I would have lost my shit. But it's Techno, and god knows how awkward he would make things if I started crying in front of him.

Now, as I sit in front of a warm fire, inside of a strange cabin in the snow, I wonder how my life got me here. What gods did I piss off enough to bring me to this position?