tw// blood, death, battle, decapitation

The sun rose over Helenguard in the hazy morning as it did every day, and Phil rose with it, just as he did every day. The morning air was sharp and chilly compared to the coziness of his room, high up in a tower of the good captain's palace.

In an adjacent tower, Phil saw Wilbur watching him off of his balcony. Phil waved at him, but Wilbur seemed to be staring right through him rather than at him. Wilbur had been concerning Phil since his vision back at the decimated village, Phil will admit. He could barely look Phil or Techno in the eyes and he didn't even let his eyes flicker over to the two boys, and that's what terrifies Phil.

Phil knows how prophecies work and how prophecy bearers are some of the most tortured souls. They are given the "gift" of seeing the future but are unable to mumble a word of what they see, and Phil knows this. That's why he doesn't pressure Wil about what he's seen or what he knows, but the looks he gives to the party in passing say too much. That's the weight of fate, even Phil, nor any of his brothers could defy it. Phil figured he should stop twiddling his thumbs and turn his attention to the future he knows about, he had an army to help lead.

Phil slipped his armor on with the additions that he had been given by the king. Today was the day they were set to meet the mysterious leader of the enemy and his army out in the low mountain fields that dotted the hills. Phil pulled up his sword and attached it to his hip, threw his cape over his shoulder and swiped a stray hair out from his face, and turned for the door.

Phil won't admit the fact that he was scared by Techno's sudden presence at his door, but he definitely was. Techno looked down at him and when he realized that he had caught Phil caught off guard, and raised his brow.

"Ah, good morning Techno, good to see you there-"

"I've gathered everyone else up but Wil, Tommy, and Tubbo since they're on the other side but I know they're up," Techno told him. Phil could hear the stress and seriousness in his words, he hadn't heard that tone from Techno in some years now, the two of them hadn't been needed in any battles recently, but it certainly reminded Phil why they were here.

Phil took a deep breath and nodded, "Alright, how about you go get them. I've got to meet with the captain," He told Techno.

Techno nodded and gave him a small salute as he turned tail towards the other rooms, "Oh, and make sure Tommy and Tubbo are fully kitted up, please, help them if you need to, you know them," Phil called out to Techno at he gave Phil a nod of acknowledgment and disappeared around a corner.

Phil sighed and rubbed his thumb on the hilt of his sword, a little comfort thing he had picked up some years ago. He knew he needed to stop fretting, but how could he? He was leading his family, his friends, and a whole army of innocent people into a battle with already scary odds. Phil cracked his knuckles as he followed the corridors.

The king was on a balcony that looked out over the expansive courtyards, but Phil realized he wasn't alone. Tubbo actually, was sitting on a stool beside the king. The two spoke in low whispers that Phil couldn't pick up on. Plus he guessed he shouldn't try and spy on a king in his own court.

Phil stood at the threshold between palace and balcony until he was acknowledged by Jordan, who Phil could see didn't expect him here yet, but played it off like anything normal. Phil caught him telling Tubbo to go catch up with his friends as he gave him a warm pat on his shoulder and sent him off. He walked right past Phil, not even sparing him a wave or glance.

Jordan motioned towards the stool that Tubbo had just been sitting on for Phil himself to sit upon. Phil walked over but couldn't help but let his gaze wander back to where Tubbo's now silhouette disappeared into the castle. Nonetheless, he returned his attention back to the king who had also slid over a similar stool.

"Morning, Phil," Jordan said warmly, fiddling around with an empty teacup as a servant picked up a tray that was sitting between him and Tubbo prior, and it was quickly replaced with a freshly brewed and warm pot and some delicate cups which Phil took gratefully.

The balcony they sat on looked out over the rolling courtyards in front of the palace. Jordan's army spread out far beneath him, their white armor with gold or silver lining to match their ranks sparkled like a clear stream on a warm summer day, and Phil could see that many of them were adorned in moss green capes much like Phil's own to show their allegiance to his cause.

"How many people is this?" Phil asked Jordan.

"These are my highest-ranking officers from all across the land I reside over. There's a little over five hundred of them; these are the knights, the marshals, the generals, the governors, and those who have been chosen as exceptional fighters by their leaders, but only half or so. Their platoons wait for them outside the gates while the other half have already set out and we will meet up with that group a mile or so outside of the set fields. There are somewhere between twenty to twenty-five thousand folks all throughout.

"What are you expecting out there?" Phil asked him.

"I've guessed fifteen thousand from what we've seen and heard, could easily be more though. It's the variable that I'm most worried about," The kind told Phil. "I have smaller armies set up throughout the mountains and in the... taken cities in case this is a trap to get the army away from the capitol."

Phil nodded, "We will definitely need the firepower, we have both seen first hand what this army can do," Phil agreed, "Alright, my men are waiting around for our march, when are we leaving?"

"We'll be leaving within the next half an hour Phil, as will the army. It'll take us an hour and a half if we're quick to get to the grounds along with the cavalry. The rest, it might be two and a half to three hours before their arrival, but of course, there are those who are already waiting."

"What if this is all a ruse, Jordan? As you said, you have your army spread thin, or what if we've underestimated the enemy?" Phil asked.

Jordan looked out over his army, "That's the way of war, Phil. We will fight for everyone today, not just the people in my city or your kids, we're fighting for the livelihood of the plane, either we win or we lose everything, there is no middle ground. We have to take what comes."

--

They sat atop a hillside, all of them and more. Phil and Jordan sat tall upon their steeds in the front, staring down into the valley in unnerved silence. The scouts had not reported any other signs of life besides their own and the first animals, every single person amongst them was on edge, ready to spring into action at the drop of a hat.

Techno, Dream, and Sapnap stood behind the two kings, ready to charge ahead, armed to the teeth in armor and weapons and all that might be necessary in the heat of battle, This was their purpose in life, to fight. They had never been more prepared.

The rest were scattered about behind them with Tubbo and Tommy close together in the middle of the pack at Phil's command. Big Q, Wilbur, Skeppy, Bad, all surrounded the two boys. Wilbur and Tubbo held the majority of medical supplies along with their normal armor and weapons, that would be divided up as necessary for their party. And behind them stood a marching army segment of five hundred, majority on foot with some cavalry stationed carefully behind, the rest of the army was waiting for their cue.

On the other end of the valley, Phil spotted something- someone. One person, dark armor on a dark steed, followed by a smaller person seated on a lesser steed, carrying a banner with the symbol that has been branded into Phil's mind, one that he had seen burned into corpses and houses and carved out of the ground; a single, long crystal with a thin line cut through it perpendicularly. That was it, so menacing skulls or crowns or death, just a crystal with a line through it, but it had never been more terrifying.

Phil tried to catch Jordan's eye, but he saw it too, and his eyes were locked on their target. He pushed his horse forward, down the slope of the hill, to meet this mysterious general who had managed to fly under both of their radars for this long. First Phil's horse flat out refused to follow suit, but once the rest started moving, it followed as well.

Phil could see from here that the general was watching them carefully. His companion had a bugle strung across their chest, at the ready. As they marched towards one another, Phil could hear their army lining up on the hilltop from which they just started their descent.

Two forces, one of goodness and trust and companionship, one of evil and vile and things that could make even the most experienced veteran flinch. Opposites, drawn to one another like magnets.

By the time they had gotten within range of the cryptic king, he had dismounted his steed who threw its head wildly in their direction; it pawed at the hearth and pinned its ears back and drew in and out hot breaths, but stood in wait like everything else in the valley.

Phil and Jordan still stood in front and this time, their battleborn brethren a few horse lengths back, giving the three leaders space, allowing whatever needs to happen, but still in close range for protection.

The two kings dismounted their horses and approached the darkly clad man. He stood marginally taller than Jordan, though not by much, and through all of his armor, Phil could only see his true skin through the small slit in front of his eyes, otherwise you could not see any kind of identifying marks. The part that confused Phil the most was what he could see in the armor wearer's eyes, it was fear.

"Dark Lord, whatever your name might truly be and from whatever dastardly realm you might originate from, by my vow you will see justice in death in this field," Jordan announced, his voice rang all throughout the clearing. He took a step forward, Phil could see the Dark King's eyes darting between the two carefully.

"Look around you, whatever has happened to your expansive army? Have they all finally seen the error in your horrendous ways? Is your kingdom nothing but a man and his servant now?" Jordan continued and Phil watched as his hand became a little too tight around his sword.

Jordan pulled his sword in the blink of an eye.

"Jordan, wait-" Phil tried to yell, going to stop his hand, but he wasn't quick enough. Jordan starred at his handiwork. Expertly skewering his pristine sword through the small slit in the man's armor, no doubt killing the wreched Lord in seconds.

Phil couldn't believe it, that couldn't be it, right? No one else seemed to believe it either, the valley had become still, not even Phil's own companions daring to move, like they thought that if they moved, they might resurrect him. Phil knew they were all thinking the same thing;

Was that it? All of this for our holy mortal king to skewer the evil-doer through? Surely not.

But as he was thinking about the Dark Lord's final moments, he couldn't help but ponder why he had looked like he knew what was coming. Like he knew he was about to be killed, after all that hard work, surely he wouldn't have shown up if he knew though, right? And the servant who carried the banner still stood on their steed, still with their horn clasped tightly in their hands.

Jordan pulled his sword back to him and leaned on it like it was any old item he had in his collection. Phil couldn't help but to kneel down next to the armored lord and lift up his helmet, all he wanted now were answers.

Phil honestly expected it to be someone he knew, some person from his younger years, someone he had met upon his journey here, someone he trusted who in an act of defiance or jealousy or of some other motive had turned to this, but no, it was simply a random man, a face he had never seen before.

But then something happened.

Phil heard Jordan rustling around in the tall grass, he had been moving in complete silence before now. Phil was still kneeling on the ground, but he turned his head to look but he was met with something different.

Steel pressing against his neck, but it wasn't cold, no. It was warm with the metallic smell of fresh blood. Phil's entire body tensed up, he wished he didn't know whose sword was pressed against his neck, or whose blood it was.

Phil could hear a gasp, a chorus of 'no's' or taken back 'what's' and he could hear the bracing of armor but nothing moved towards Phil or his theatener.

"If any of you take one step forward, I will slice my sword clean through Phil'Za's neck," Jordan voice, the same one that he used as he spoke to his citizens, the one he spoke to his troops with, the same one that Phil had just been listening to, booming with confidence and charisma, now held him at the end of a sword.

"You can't fuckin' do that, he's Phil'Za," Tommy snarled. Phil assumed he tried to push his horse through everyone else's by the sound of it. Phil could practically see Techno giving him a deathly stare, it almost made the fae king laugh.

"Don't push me," Jordan said sternly. Phil bit through his tongue as the man above him pressed his sword harder into the back of Phil's neck, he could feel blood trickling around the wound and down his neck.

"Did you really think it would be that easy? That it would all be over with the flick of a wrist? No grand battle? No bloodstained fields? No story to tell adventure-ready children?" Jordan remarked, "Well, I guess after I'm done with this realm, there won't be any more children. Or mothers, or fathers, or siblings, nothing will remain, it doesn't deserve to."

"And why is that, Jordan?" Phil heard Dream call out.

"There is a cycle to all things, Dream. And that cycle has finally come around to this place. Whether it is I who drives a sword through the gods of this plane or someone in ten thousand years, everything will have to come to an end, I have just been given the chance to do it myself."

As he spoke, Phil could see the banner holder, the one with the horn, raise it up to his lips and let out a long call. Jordan looked over to his servant with a smile, and in a moment Phil thought he was dead for sure. He heard the whizzing of an arrow; he expected it to be from some scout of Jordan's who had been waiting for their mark or something along those lines, but suddenly the weight was released off of Phil's neck as Jordan sword had been shot out of his hands by an arrow, an arrow he recognized at Wilbur's.

Phil tumbled out of Jordan's reach as he desperately launched to get his sword back. A multitude and relieved voices let out their held breaths as Dream and Sapnap ran towards the other king and Techno approached Phil, the rest of the party still moved carefully as one unit, looking between the two groups, some staying mounted while some stepped down onto the ground and reading their swords, their gazed looking around the crest of the valley in anticipation.

Techno reached out to pull Phil up which he greatly appreciated and slung his other arm around Techno, whose eyes darted between him and Jordan, but they weren't alone anymore, Phil realized.

While Dream and Sapnap readied their swords to fight the king; he had his sword in hand and a grin spread across his face, paying more attention to the armies around than the actual threat in front of them, and Phil quickly realized why; they were fighting one another.

By the looks of it, Jordan's forces were way outnumbered, all around the valley but still, soldier fought soldier, friend fought friend, with no rhyme or reason, just bodies dropping to the floor, but that wasn't the worst part of it all.

No, that came with the sight that was, as the bodies hit the soft, dewy grass, their corpses would curl up, their muscles tense, and then start to rise once more. That was how Jordan had multiplied his forces. With every kill his soldiers got, they gained one more in their ranks. No matter what their allegiance before, they didn't have a choice in death.

Soldiers began sliding down the sides of the hills, all swarming down to come and fight for their new- or old king. Phil felt the panic start tortoise in his chest like bile, he felt Techno pull him more upwards after he realized he had started to give up on standing.

"George and Bad, take the kids and get the five hundred back behind us, they haven't been affected yet, get them to us as backup," Techno commanded. "Wilbur, get over here and help Phil, whatever needs to be done, do it. The rest of us need to make sure Jordan doesn't get away and keep his men- corpses- whatever they are at bay for a few minutes until George and Bad get back."

Phil could see Bad dragging Tommy and Tubbo up the hill as George ran up, they were sparing looks back at their party but they had a job to fulfill, they knew that.

Wilbur rushed over with some kind of ointment of potion that he had picked up along their travels and a roll of bandages and took Phil out of Techno's hands who ran over to Skeppy and Big Q.

Jordan stood, still a sharp smile spread across his face as he gripped his sword tightly. Finally, the banner holder stepped off of his horse and started to approach the two, drawing a sword out of thin air, ready to fight. With his knight now by his side, Jordan backed up towards his horse, preparing to mount it to make his escape.

Sapnap gave Dream a reassuring nod and a grin as he charged towards the knight, allowing his brother in arms to go after the king, Dream took his chance and rushed back to mount the first steed he saw which luckily enough for him, was the firecracker of a horse that Tommy had been oh so lovingly been put upon, giving Dream the speed he needed to close the gap between him and his target.

The advancing army of reanimated soldiers had begun to close in on the split-up party of adventurers, but Phil could see over Wilbur's soldier that the group they had sent up the hill to gather forces had succeeded, and now the undead were no longer the only ones rushing down the hill.

The sight of the soldiers, their chance at winning, gave Phil the much-needed motivation to push himself off of Wilbur's support. The burning pain on the back of his neck still sent waves of shock and pain all throughout his aching body but he too, had a job. He knew the cut wasn't deep enough to kill him, he would have to make due.

"Phil, Phil I truly think you should sit this out for a little," Wilbur insisted as he gently pushed Phil's shoulder back down towards the ground, but Phil shook his head.

"I'll be alright mate," He insisted, standing back up and giving Wilbur a pat on the back. Wilbur gave him a concerned look but didn't say anything. Phil gave him a reassuring look and nodded at him, "You did a fine job, it'll be alright until this is over."

"Well I'll help you back onto your horse at least, looks like you've got some soldiers to command," Wilbur told him, moving Phil back towards his horse.

Time in battle was always a strange thing to Phil. Around him, time seemed to pass slowly, he could calculate the moves of his opponent and plan accordingly, but at the same time, it all passed in a blink of an eye to him. One more battle was one more battle, he had fought in hundreds over time, hours were like seconds if you have been around for as long as the fae king had. This was no exception.

People and horses danced all around him. One would make a slip-up and that was it for them. No man or creature is perfect under the stress of battle. Sweat and blood and the heat of so many bodies in such close quarters, all dancing under the sun made sweat bead on even the fittest of warriors and could easily suffocate out the weakest.

It wasn't hard to spot Phil's group, all of the soldiers were elven, maybe a few humans spread out there too. It wasn't hard to spot a crystalline creature, double pairs of ivory wings that had been scuffed up with blood and grass stains, a pig's head sticking out between all of the others. Though really Phil had figured out a long time ago that if he ever lost Techno in battle, he should just look to where the trail of bodies led to.

The only of his crew that Phil fretted about were Tommy, Tubbo, and George. With Tubbo's fragile wings tucked away safely under his armor, he appeared just as everyone else did. And with Tommy and George's likeness to everyone else's, Phil made sure to keep tabs out for them, though he was sure others were doing so too when they had a chance.

But those chances had begun to run slimmer and slimmer as the hours blurred by. While at first, their army had been sweeping though, with every kill Jordan's forces were able to make, that was one more they could add to their ranks. Over time, it became obvious how overpowering that could become.

In a moment, Techno was beside Phil. Phil knew he was about to rattle off some statistics that Phil could barely hear with the ambiance of battle around them like a panoramic orchestra, so he cut him off.

"I'm tired of playing cat and mouse," Phil announced to his son. "Unless Jordan has ascended into some form of greater being, necromancy is still necromancy, there's only one way it works here."

Techno gave him a quizzical look, it reminded Phil that even though Techno had adapted and seen much of Phil's world, he still had not seen all of the things that Phil had seen. "We need to take him out. Now. Once he's down they will all collapse like dominos," Phil informed Techno.

Techno gave him a nod and turned towards the glob of undead that Jordan had around him. Phil guessed he wouldn't assume that anyone could get through that because it sure did make him a target.

Seeing it, however, Phil had an idea. He remembered that when they had arrived in the town where they met Skeppy and Bad, they also met Wilbur's old friends, one of whom owned a potion shop. Phil distinctly remembered that Deo had insisted on picking some up before they left the town, and Phil remembers what he got as well.

The bag of weapon-in-a-bottle had been carelessly tossed to Sapnap with the trio of brothers departure, which was definitely a questionable choice on everyone's part, but to be fair everyone was pretty shaken after their betrayal.

"I have a plan, just don't get too close till' you see my signal," Phil shouted to Techno, who if he had stayed around any longer would have definitely asked what the signal was, but Phil was confident that he would know what it was when it happened, but Phil needed to find Sapnap before anything got worse.

Didn't take too long, however, as it seems like Sapnap hadn't forgotten about his weapon either, making it much easier for Phil to track him down. Phil dismounted off his horse and cleared through a few undead soldiers to break into the group that Sapnap had infused with.

"Sapnap! Are you holding out alright mate?" Phil asked, though he really wasn't looking for an answer. Phil grabbed the potion-wielding fighter as ducked into the middle of the cluster of soldiers to complete the transaction.

"I need the potions," Phil told him, extending out his arm for Sapnap to hand him the bag.

Sapnap frowned at him like a puppy who had just been told 'no' for the first time after eating a shoe, "Aww, why? I love these things!" Sapnap insisted, casually tossing one around like a juggling ball.

Phil gave him a serious look and snatched the one he was tossing around out of the air before he could grab it again. Sapnap took note of his expression and looked down at his feet and nodded, handing him the bag as he mumbled something under his breath.

"I'll make sure to get you back to that village to get more- better yet we can get you lessons if you want," Phil promised the man, giving him a slightly sorry look. Was he really? No. But he'll act like it.

Phil looked into the bag and counted, he took one out and tossed it back to Sapnap, "Use it wisely, stay safe," He told him as he took back off through the crowd, sliding between soldiers and running up the hills of the valley, slaying warriors as he could until he found a spot that was clear of fighting near the treeline.

Looking down into the valley, he had the best view of it that he had gotten since the fighting started. Soldiers still swarmed about Jordan, protecting him with everything they had, but Phil could see Jordan from his vantage point, and that was what he was going to use.

Phil, like Tubbo, had carefully packed away his wings under his armor, which was a lucky move on their part. Generally, it was considered bad taste and dishonorable to go for a warrior's wings, but then, of course, dead folks have no honor.

While Phil had flexible armor, it was too heavy to wear and fly, such are the problems of being fae. He unstrapped his metal chestplate and wriggled out of it and placed it neatly beside a tree which he hoped he would remember the placement of. It was good armor too, he didn't really want to lose it.

Phil stretched his back out, feeling some of the tenseness in his back lessen as he unfurled his wings and stretched them out too. With the weight lifted off his back, he went ahead and took off his helmet as well, his neck hadn't enjoyed the weight of it either.

Phil still strapped his shield to his back though, he guessed he should still get as much armoring as he could. He took the burlap sack off the ground and opened the mouth of it, grabbing one potion per hand and strapping the other two on his belt for easy handling.

He stretched his back and wing-related muscles one last time and pushed himself into the air, fluttering above the battlefield with grace and purpose as he began towards the swarm. In the heat of the battle, chances are that no one would even notice him, way up in the air, until he was dropping the potions above the king.

Phil flew high above, scouting about where he was to make his drops, then made a sharp dive down and cut up just quick enough to give him the speed he needed without having to exert himself as much, and he started his attack.

One potion. He soared to the next position as he heard it shatter and take its effect.

Two potions. Same as last time, he heard it shatter and could hear the yelling and screaming of the corpses as they tried to flee.

Three potions. Same as the prior two, Phil figured that the king in the center had started to catch on.

Four potions and Phil fluttered his wings to push himself upwards more, where he could see his good work. A messy circle of fire had overtaken the swarm. It ate up the grass as any kindling does and it ate away at any body that was in its path just as easily. Phil was glad that the smell of melting flesh and smoke didn't sicken him too much, then Phil went in.

His soldiers were no longer as concerned with the king as they were their own survival, animal instincts are always there and will almost always come first, especially when one doesn't think. Phil swooped down, into the circle, and started his terror on the ground, shoving and dodging and weaving between the roaring fire and roaring corpses.

One his view was clear, he could see Techno, Dream, and Wilbur had all found there through the running swarm and they stood on the other side of the fire, all mounted on their horses, who were clearly not loving the fire either, but they worked on clearing out some of the soldiers trying to make their way back through.

Phil knocked down one more soldier and stabbed them through before looking up-- he finally saw Jordan, standing on the other side of the ring that Phil had created, carefully watching Phil as he took a step forward to not catch his torn cape aflame.

Phil marched towards him, sword at the ready, Jordan didn't flinch when he brought the sword up to his face.

"Your campaign is over, Jordan. It's the end," Phil told him, the two starring down each other with mirrored looks, a rage-filled with hatred and fire.

"I'm one domino in a chain Phil. I'm not the first and I won't be the last, but I'm the one who made a sound, Phil." Jordan told him, heading in just a little as he spoke, edging closer to Phil's sword. "What's the difference between you and I, Phil? We both take what we want through bloodshed and we both try and run from what we know will happen, it's just fate, Phil."

Phil would curse himself later, but at that moment he had just as much self-restraint when Jordan himself had slashed through the decoy.

"The difference between you and I? I'll give you two," Phil snarled. "One; I don't hesitate."

With that, Phil pulled his sword back and with as much power that he could muster, sliced the head of his enemy clean off, one clean-cut and his head toppled to the floor.

Phil didn't care if the bodiless head of Jordan could hear him or perceive what he was hearing, he had heard tales of people remaining conscious for a few moments after their beheading, but it didn't matter to Phil either way.

"You are simple, you are mortal," Phil's head rose, his eyes glancing around the fire that had begun to calm itself around him. The burnt and mangled bodies and charred pits of bone and armor, all by his hand. "I am a god."

Phil allowed himself to fall back and sit down on the now-muddy field, to think it was so pristine only hours beforehand used to baffle Phil, but now he was used to the destruction. Just as Phil had thought, the bodies of Jordan's undead warriors toppled to the ground in a wave. The few that marched towards the group outside of the fire fell effortlessly back into death, followed by the rest until the soldiers who were on the hill on the far side of the valley toppled too.

When Phil returned his attention once more to where he was sitting, he found Techno stomping out the remnants of the fire so that they could pass through to Phil himself, though Phil watched as their gaze shifted from him to the headless corpse in front of him.

Dream was the one to offer his hand to Phil, whipped his hand off delicately on his blood-soaked tunic, only adding to the red collage, and took the ghostly hand. As soon as Phil had managed to stand himself fully back up, the hand he was supporting himself with passed through his own, almost making Phil fall right back down before he caught himself. Dream said a quick apology and Phil pushed out a small chuckle at it and shrugged it off.

"That was quite the signal, Phil," Techno told him, Phil shrugged.

"I knew you would get it."

"That was pretty hard to miss," Wilbur cut in.

"Good, good, needed it to be showy," Phil smiled. He looked down at his bloody sword, there was no blood in the fae world that was quite as red as a human's. Phil didn't know why, but it was awfully noticeable on his sword and splattered across his clothes.

"I'm just glad it worked and that you're okay," Techno affirmed. He quickly hopped over to Phil's side and took the sword out of his hands.

"Let's go check on everyone else," Dream said, leading the way back out of the charred circle of grass and into the cleaning as everyone else followed and Phil hobbled along beside Techno, his tiredness, and soreness all hitting him quick.

They started looking around and gathering everyone back up. Phil, Techno, Dream, and Wilbur were of course all accounted for.

They found Sapnap and Big Q helping George up, who seemed to be a little more scrapped up than the other two but as the four approached them, he gave a shaky, but all intact, thumbs up.

They started across the battlefield once again and Skeppy and Bad ran towards them. They all breached themselves for another fight but as they got closer, Skeppy launched himself at Techno and gave the pig-man a tight hug as Bad stood by and watched happily, both clearly elated that everyone was okay.

As Skeppy and Bad started to tell the four of them about their fight, Phil started looking through the valley for the familiar armor that both Tommy and Tubbo adorned. He searched up and down the hills as he leaned against Techno until he spotted them, two sets of dirtied armor, crouched by one another on a hill, halfway across the valley, Phil let out a sigh of relief that they were together.

Phil cupped his hand over his eyes to block the sun from his view and to get a better look at the two, but as he did, he realized something was wrong. They weren't crouched on the hill together, but one was draped across the ground while the other kneeled over them.

Oh god, Phil's mind immediately began to race, oh god please no. He looked up to where Techno and Skeppy were watching and hit Techno's arm to get his attention, then pointed over towards the two.

Phil watched as Techno's face dropped from his friendly banter between Skeppy and Dream as his eyes picked up on what Phil was pointing at.

"Shit," Techno cursed. That's never a good sign, Techno wasn't one to curse, unlike his brother, even in bad situations, he always kept himself cool. But it certainly got everyone's attention as they followed Techno and Phil's gaze to the side of the hill.

Without much thought, Techno picked up Phil as gently as he could since he knew Phil wouldn't be able to keep up with the rest of them, and started towards the duo perched on the hill. The rest followed a stride behind.

As they approached the two, Phil could see the scene more clearly; while he still couldn't catch the faces that were turned away from them, he could see that the body of the ground had been skewered through the back and there was a blood-covered sword just out of reach of one of Jordan's now truly dead corpses.

The blood was bright, too bright to be any kind of fae creature's blood.

Phil's heart dropped in his chest. No, no, no, no, it can't really be, right? Phil hit his clammy hand against Techno as a sign to let him down.

The one kneeling down surely not Tubbo, please Phil felt horrible about thinking such about the poor boy, but he didn't think he could handle it. The kneeling one yanked the helmet off the body of the other, golden blond hair, matted by blood, spilled out.

Techno had indeed put him down, but now he didn't think he could take a step forward. Phil felt every muscle in him freeze in an instant, even as the rest flew towards them. Phil couldn't do it.

Oh god, what would he do? What could he do? He had let his own son get away from him, away from everyone else, he just left someone as prepared as Tommy himself was to protect him-

Wilbur looked back at Phil before he reached the boys and came sprinting back. He didn't say anything- or if he did, Phil didn't hear it- there were too many things going on in his head, too many moments, too many questions, but Wilbur grabbed onto Phil's wrist and pulled the fae king after him as he ran, and Phil couldn't fight back.

And when he finally got there, and everyone was looking down at the corpse- no, at the body. At the body of his son, the lifeless and town body of his Tommy, Phil couldn't look at it or the sword-shaped hole that had cut clean through his armor on one side, through his heart, and out the other, Phil shut his eyes and felt his knees hit the ground as hot tears blurred his vision.

He placed his hand on Tommy's uncovered face, but he hadn't cleaned it well enough from his victory. As he jerked his hand away from the too cold face, that same pop of red that covered Phil's tunic, and Jordan's corpse, and Tom- he couldn't even think it. But as he looked through the tears he saw that same shade of Tommy's cheek where Phil touched it.

And the same shade leaked out of the wound in Tommy's back, creating a pool of hot red in the cool mud.

Phil screamed, because that was all he knew how to do. He screamed because his son, his Tommy- was dead.