Chapter Text
“Huh,” says… someone. He’s not a Watcher, but he has to be, and no one is telling her to attack. Four is wary, because she must be, but.
…He’s talking to her, and she doesn’t know how to respond.
“You passed, I guess. My little sister, the Watcher’s Blade. How… wonderful. Least that’ll shut up your whining for a while.”
Four blinks, slowly. I am not permitted to talk to those who are not my handlers.
“Eh,” he shrugs. “No one’ll mind. I’ll be off, though, stuff to do. Fun times, Four.”
And he’s gone, vanished in a whirlwind of staticky void. Four blinks again, rattles her feathers slightly, and continues on with her training.
^…^
The Faction Isles are dark when Kyle steps out onto the shore. Most of the other pirates are either missing or offserver, so hopefully it’ll be-
“Hey.”
Apo stands up, stretches from where he was sitting on a barrel, and looks at him. “What are you wearing? And why- oh. Kyle.”
“What?” he snaps.
“You leave for a year, come back sporadically, and now you stink of the void. Come on, man, what’s up.”
“None of your business.”
“Dude, this is my server. My Players. If you’ve been messing around with the Watchers-”
“Big claim for someone who can’t even protect his own friends.”
Apo bristles at that, baring his teeth. His eyes glow in the lamplight. “They locked us in the Maze! Why would you help them?!”
Kyle scoffs, twirling a tiny strand of darkness around his finger. “You wouldn’t understand.”
He crosses his arms. “Try me.”
“For knowledge, Apokuna. For power beyond mortal comprehension. Same things any sane person wants.”
“Kyle. Shut up.”
The void under his skin flickers. “There’s no one around. It would be… so… easy for you to fall, huh? One step, two… the void needs offerings.”
“Are you threatening me?”
“Well, sure. Why not?”
“In my own Claim?”
Kyle shrugs. “Not the first time I’ve imprisoned a god.”
(He thinks of rising tides and doomed towns, cut brown hair and the power of a server god nestled in a cage of iron.)
Apo stares. “I’m starting to think I didn’t know you as well as I thought I did. I thought we were friends, Kyle, but you’re trying to kill me!”
He laughs, then, hands sharpening into claws. “Friends? I don’t have friends, Apo. What do you take me for, a weakling like my sister?”
“Then we meant nothing to you?!” he shouts, then, the volcano rumbling, and if anyone was still on they were surely awake by now- “Me, Red, Acho?”
Kyle’s expression doesn’t change. “Yep. You got it.”
Apo glares at him, sharp as the javelin that killed him, and Kyle smirks. “Get off my server before I make you. And don’t come back.”
“Gladly. I have better places to be.”
And with a swish of his crimson cloak, he vanished like darkness.
Apo groans, falling to his knees. “Ughhhh. Now what?”
“-po? You okay?”
He squints at the sunrise. How long was he-
“Hey, Apo? You hear me?”
“Acho…?”
“Hey, man, tell me five things you see?”
He sighs again. “I’m good.”
Acho helps him to aching feet. “Listen, actually, I’ve got something to tell you…”
This was going to be a long conversation.