AU: Explorer

Information: in the village Tommy was born in, there are rules that decide your roles. There was no option but to follow them. Explorer is one of the more dangerous roles to be given. Yet it can only be given to a member of the same family as another employee that retired. They are not permitted to come back to the village unless they finished exploring. It can take a long time depending on what you are given to explore and the danger level of it. None of Tommy's family knows he's a hybrid as he grow wings after a month after his role was picked and he was forced to leave.

Family: Philza, Kristen, Technoblade, Wilbur.

Trigger warnings: blood, scars.

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Tommy scanned the area, his pen in hand as he marked a firm 'X' on a building shown. He hummed as he lifted the pen and, carful not to actually mark on the map now, trailed it along to the next marked structure.

There was plenty of undiscovered and lost buildings people haven't dared to explore due to their danger levels. The teen traveled alone as he left his home. When he turned fifteen, he got his role... explorer. His role was much like his father's role previously before he had found his wife.

Tommy placed the map in his pocket as he pulled out his journal, making plenty of notes of that day as the night approached swiftly.

His mother, a lovely woman Tommy never seemed to let go. Despite it being around two years since he's seen his family, he missed her the most. He hated one part of this whole 'exploring' role he was given... he couldn't return home all that often. He wondered if they changed the rules, yet he wouldn't know until he explored the last building, the most dangerously marked.

The teen quickly finished the entry, putting away his journal and pen in his backpack before continuing onwards. He vaguely made his way through the jungle, watching the ground as traps were common.

His wings were stiff behind him as his red and golden tipped feathers were messy and untamed. He couldn't fly exactly right due to how the feathers were unaligned. Yet he hummed, it would be faster to fly above the jungle trees... he sighed and weighed the risk.

In the end, he flared his wings, taking off in a instant through the leaves, avoiding the branches. He flew above the trees, his determination was bright as he attempted to stay up longer in the air.

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He landed, stumbling a bit as his wings went back to their uncomfortable position. He stood in front of the last structure... he pulled out his sword with a intent to kill and murder every danger and monster in the hellish structure. He paused, he pondered how many more battle scars he could get. Each and every scar told a story he didn't wish to repeat, not even to his family whom he longed to get back too.

The seventeen year old side, gripping the sword just as he'd done multiple times. With a sigh passing his lips... he walked in with determination in his heart to survive and return home.

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The sun was bright in the sky when he arrived back to the surface, a trophy in his hands... the head of the ender dragon. Deep down in the halls, protected by traps and monsters... there on a stand to show off was the head of the long slain ender dragon in the legends.

Tommy looked to the sky as blood seemed down his arm, dripping onto the once bright green grass. He collapsed to his knees, pain being engulfed in his body.

He didn't attempt to stand back up as he pulled off his backpack and opened it, storing the trophy in it before pulling out the journal, the map, and the pen. Taking the pen in his hands, he marked off the last location in the jungle. He quickly placed the map in his pocket this time, he would need it to get back home.

Home... Tommy could barely remember the home he grew up in. His memories seemed to be a blur as the life or death situations were overwhelming. Home to him was a place where family was... where he felt the safest even in the darkest times. It was a place he barely remembered.

The teen shook his head and documented the experience in the journal that was packed to the brim with notes and information Tommy wished he didn't need to find out. As he finished the documentation, crows chipping were heard from above. A sound he often heard that relaxed him... his thoughts went to his father. A crow hybrid with two pitch black beat wings. The male could speak to crows... it was weird to watch but quite interesting as well.

The crows never fully came down to where the teen was. He was half tempted to fly up to them to see if they knew how his family was. He shook his head, even if they were his father's crows... he wouldn't be able to understand them. He hadn't learned anything about how to understand bird despite being a bird hybrid himself.

He sighed, shrugging, before taking off into the sky. It would be the quickest way to get home... the crows seemed to be scanning the area as they slowly flew along. Tommy could instantly tell they had a goal in mind.

"That's odd..." Tommy stated out loud, it was a habit he developed after being alone for so long. A habit in talking to himself so he just didn't hear the jungles noises that often wanted to drive him crazy. A crow turned their head, locking eyes with the winged hybrid. They cawed getting the others attention as they quickly flew closer. "Oh... are you Phil's crows?" Tommy asked knowing he wouldn't get a answer.

The crow started to fly in the opposite direction Tommy was facing, the crow than turned around and seemed to want the boy to follow. Tommy, knowing he couldn't get lost, went with the flow and followed the crow. His flight was a bit wavy and difficult as his wings grew tired with each flap. He flew over the jungle with a flock of crows leading him into a unknown set of either danger or peace.

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Tommy landed, a bit confused on the building the crows landed on. He landed on the ground as one crow perched on his shoulder. "Where did you take me?" Tommy questioned the crow as he scanned around for danger. His wings were tense as they always were in a unfamiliar area.

"Who are you?" A voice came out of no where, startling the teen into his fight mode he often relied on. His sword was quick to be in his hand as he knocked the person to the ground. The sword was up against a tall males neck. The male was caught off guard as the sword the unknown person held had flung a few feet out of his reach.

The crow on Tommy's shoulder cawed, poking Tommy with their beak. "Woah, woah, I'm not a threat." The male, seemingly understanding he startled the boy, stated calmly, he didn't let fear enter his voice.

Tommy glanced over the tall male, he seemed to be a creeper hybrid. He wore a mask that covered his mouth, his hair was moved in a way you couldn't see one of his eyes. The male wore netherite amour and he seemed to be a guard of sorts.

"What's going on out her-" another voice came out of no where, Tommy curse the new environment as he couldn't clearly hear the things going on around him. Yet unlike the male Tommy had at sword point, this voice was too familiar. The crow on Tommy's shoulder cawed and flew off his shoulder. The teen turned, seeing they had went to a male with two pitch black wings, much like a crow. The male looked over Tommy for a moment, a sudden look of realization crossed his face. The teen studied the male for a moment... he looked like his father in many ways.

Tommy blink, he wanted to slap himself as this was his father. He looked the exact same as two years ago... "Dad...?" Tommy asked wanting for the male to confirm it himself.

"Hey Toms..." Phil smiled, "can you take your sword away from Sams throat so we can go see Kristen and your brothers?" The teen glanced towards the male before backing up and pushing his sword into its makeshift holster.

The teen, in no time, was pulled into a hug. "I'm so happy your safe fledgling..." Tommy had long forgotten that fact. Phil often called each of his children 'Fledgling' as if their baby birds, it was a normal instinct. "You grew wings," the male said excitedly.

"Yeah... just a month after I left on the journey. I had to bunker in a cave for a while as they grew in." Tommy admitted as Phil noticed the scars on his son. The male didn't mention it... he had scars of his own and knew it would be too soon to ask about them.

"How about we go see Kristen?" Phil put one arm over his son, noticing how tense his wings were. They relaxed slightly as Phil was touching him in a reassuring hold.

The two walked and talked, Tommy wanting to curse out fate as Phil told him of the new rules. He was already half a month into his exploring role when they finally decided to change them. He could've stayed home... he wouldn't have to had this many scars. He would've been find mentally.

Sometimes the world was unfair... yet Tommy was happy he was back with his family and here to stay.