Heavy is the Head that Wears the Solemn Crown

Forty-Three - Monster of the Death's Garden

Tommy

The sun is beginning to rise over the golden plains. It bathes the world in a red light, almost as if saturating the world itself in blood. On the horizon, hordes of men wearing black uniforms are lined up in symmetrical rows like pawns on a chessboard. Instead of facing off against white, these chess pieces will be fighting against blue. The kings are also not present on the battlefield. Schlatt is tucked away in his palace, drinking enough alcohol that he must be made entirely of it. Wilbur, along with Philza, Shubble, and Puffy, are in the L'Manberg Royal Palace. They will be performing an ancient ritual that will enable Wilbur to gain enough power to end this war once and for all.

Tommy stands on the frontlines of this battle, but he suspects that he is worth a lot more than a mere pawn. He can feel his powers- the Touch of Life- pulsating against the edges of his skin, ready to spill out swaths of brilliant light. His wings burn like an inferno behind him, spread out to give himself an imposing figure. His sword, Leavition, the beloved killer, is tucked in a scabbard attached to his waist. There is a dagger given to him by Wilbur in his boot and a spear given to him by Techno strapped to his back. He tucks down the visor of his helmet, allowing the world in front of him to be substantially narrowed. Adrenaline is already coursing through his veins, and he allows it to completely take over his mind. His sister was at his side, after all. She would never let him stray too far.

"Apollo, remember to stay with the frontline. Thanatos, aim for the generals," Techno ordered as he walked past. Tommy nodded at the command. They had gone over battle strategies for most of the journey before they decided to split Tommy and Kristin up. It was a hard decision but ultimately a necessary one. Tommy just hoped that Techno knew what he was doing.

Techno took one step away from when he halted in his steps. Tommy would have asked why if he didn't already know. He felt a sharp pain in his chest like someone had stabbed him. He breathed in deeply, eyes unintentionally turning to the direction that the royal palace- that Wilbur- would be. Techno was also looking that way, a hand subtly placed on the weapon. Tommy felt the pain intensify until his thoughts were consumed by it. In the soft spaces of the pain, he recalled an odd memory of watching... watching someone with brown hair and kind smiles and beautiful songs being put on a wooden block. The guillotine glinted in the evening light, and no matter how much he begged and cried, the crowd wouldn't part. The executioner wouldn't stop. The blade didn't remain high above his... his brother's head. He watched, falling to his knees the same second his brother's head fell into the basket. The crowd cheered and he wept, and he swore he would never care about anyone that much ever again. He spent the rest of his days in the company of loneliness and regret.

"Hey," Kristin whispers, her hand slipping into his. She squeezes it for a second, bringing him back to the present. He breathes in deeply. He's never seen anyone get taken out by a guillotine. The only people he's seen executed were his comrades at Business Bay, and they were killed by archers and arrows. Tommy swore that he would preserve their legacy, and he was going to get his revenge today. He was going to get his revenge every second he spent fighting in this war. Oceania would fall for what it did.

The army on the horizon has gotten larger. Parts of it are more defined, and Tommy notices horses and caravans alongside the foot soldiers. He feels Kristin's grip grow stronger, and he notices that her skin is beginning to crack with power. It doesn't affect him because of his own touch, but he is a little worried for the soldiers around them. If they accidentally bump into Kristin, they might as well say goodbye to living. Kristin turns to him, though, and all of her concern is pinned on him instead of the people around them that are starting to notice the plant life around Kristin's feet rotting away. "Stay safe."

"Oh, come on, careful is my middle name," Tommy guarantees with a bright smile on his face. He's pushing away his worries. He won't ever admit it, not even to Kristin, but he's a little scared. He isn't afraid of dying so much as failing. He wants to do good on his friends' names. He wants to make Techno proud. He wants to preserve the nation Wilbur is falling apart for. He wants to make it out to spend more time with the people he cares about. Along with Kristin, he has a new family. A huge one filled with powerful people that can take care of themself but allow him into their lives anyway. He has nothing to offer them but his loyalty, and he desperately wants that to be enough. He wants to be enough.