Tommy

Despite the fact that it spanned across the continent, the western half of L'Manberg is not that different from its eastern counterpart. Gilded Helianthia might be the most different from its neighboring areas, but that is mainly because the forestry had been cleared away for farmlands. Pixandria, Pato, and Schlatt are all very similar to Mythland, Pogtopia, and the Crystal Cliffs. The forests are composed of similar trees, the grass is just as green, and the architecture consists of the same arches and materials. With all the emphasis placed on the divide between L'Manberg, Tommy was expecting so much more than what he got to see.

Or, maybe, there were many differences. Maybe there were plants unique to the western half of the nation. Maybe there were animals that could only thrive on this side of the Elton John River. Maybe there were slight nuances in the architecture, and perhaps it would be more visible in the larger cities that the group was purposefully avoiding. Maybe there were differences in the clothing that people wore or their accents. There could have been a thousand types of trees over here and the grass could be slightly darker or paler in color.

Tommy didn't notice a single thing because he was looking for threats, not beauty.

"I think I'm going to puke," Tubbo's voice filtered out of the carriage behind Tommy. It had been decided before they left that Tommy was going to be the one to drive the carriage. Tubbo couldn't be in the front in case someone important saw them. Ranboo had volunteered to sit on the bench, but Tommy kicked him into the carriage after the first day of traveling. Ranboo wasn't bad company; he was just talkative. Tommy normally could out-talk both of his companions, but he didn't have the heart or energy to pretend that he cared about anything more than the end of this war. All his creative flair and dramatics was buried in that empty grave meant for his sister.

"Me, too. I'm so scared. What if we mess up? What if I forget something?" Ranboo responded. Tommy wondered how he could hear either of them with the way the horse was huffing and slamming his hooves on the trodden path. Tommy's eyes shot to the side when he noticed slight movement, and he noticed something he had been speculating about since the beginning of the journey: his senses were getting sharper. He was constantly searching for prey, it seemed.

"No, I'm not worried about my father. He's a drunk bastard. I could trick him with my eyes closed. It's this damned carriage. They've always made me sick," Tubbo responds. Tommy pulls on the reins of the horse to slow their movement a little. He can't do much since they have a schedule to follow, but he doesn't want to make this journey any more demanding than it needs to be.

Several days prior to now, Wilbur had entered into his tent. Tommy had been staying in Wilbur's tent, so it wasn't a surprise that he was there. It was surprising when Tommy noticed that Tubbo and Ranboo were flanking the king. Wilbur sat them all down with a worried look in his eyes. He explained to them all in soft terms his plan. Tommy and Tubbo agreed to the plan immediately when Wilbur stopped talking, and Ranboo joined in once he realized that this was something his friends wanted to do. Wilbur silenced them with his hand. He went over every danger of the plan with excruciating detail. Tommy didn't care, relaying that he wanted to complete Kristin's last wish. Tubbo reminded Wilbur that he had already devoted himself to the cause, and he would do anything to put his father out of commission. Ranboo refused to leave his friends, muttering something about half-memories of abandoning someone else. Wilbur really seemed hesitant to let them leave, but he eventually gave them his blessing- in a quite literal sense considering they now all possessed the blessing of the fledgling god. Wilbur held Tommy that night, and he was there to wish Tommy luck when the blonde left in the carriage to take his friends to hell.

Techno was there, too, at the end. He pressed Tommy's head against his chest as he explained that he would be in Pato and the Badlands. Tommy was reassured that if he needed anything- especially a rescue- to call for Techno. Tommy remembered Techno's promise about Techno keeping Tommy alive. The promise warmed his heart, and he told Techno that if he needed something, Tommy would be in Schlatt. Techno humored Tommy's words, and they parted with determined expressions.

Although he didn't step out of the shadows, Philza was there. Tommy waved goodbye at him, and Philza smiled rather kindly at Tommy with a nod. Tommy wished that he could have talked to Philza before he departed since they were, arguably, the closest to Kristin. She was practically Tommy's mother, and she was Philza's love. But Tommy knew that he would be returning, and Philza wasn't going to be dying anytime soon. They would have that talk eventually.

Tommy really tried not to think about Kristin, but every single one of his thoughts circled back to it. He couldn't get a break from her, and he was torn between wanting her hallucination to remain at his side and wanting this living nightmare to end. Every night, she was in his dreams, and when he opened his eyes, she wasn't gone. She stood in the corner of his eye, lingering at the edges of his peripheral vision. Her laughter echoed in every breeze. Her voice underlaid everyone else's voices. When the world grew deadly still, her arms were closing around his neck as if she was trying to hug him... or choke him. This afterimage of his sister drove him insane, increasing his paranoia and stealing away his rest, but if he let it go, he would have nothing left of his sister. He was terrified that he wouldn't remember anything about her if this amalgamation of her image and his worst fears abandoned him. He clung to the pain, holding onto the very knife that was digging into his palm with enough force to draw blood.

"Please don't puke on me. It took me forever to get the wrinkles out of this suit," Ranboo responds to Tubbo, and Tommy startles as he is torn from his thoughts. He looks down at his hands holding onto the reins. He isn't surprised to see the scales glimmering against his pale skin. His grip tightens, and he takes in a measured breath. The scales stop glowing, shrinking back to his wrists. Wispy memories burn at the edge of his mind, and he remembers the whisper that man told him. You'll always be a monster.

"Don't talk to me about suits. It will only make me want to puke even more," Tubbo told Ranboo. Tommy shuffles from where he sits. He's also in a suit. He didn't bother with the wrinkles, though, so he looks messier than his companions. He had to tear a hole through both the undershirt and the jacket for his wings, and that makes him look even more out of place. He hopes that people will back off of him in Schlatt. He isn't important, and his wings- while fascinating- aren't shrouded in flames anymore, so he should be fine. All attention will be diverted to the prodigal son, not his tagalong.

"We're almost there," Tommy calls back as soon as he hears people talking and laughing. Ranboo and Tubbo fall silent, straining to hear what Tommy hears. It takes several more moments of riding before their mortal ears can hear it. Tommy takes a deep breath, steeling his nerves as he sees the Schlatt dukedom's capital city. He can't afford to show any weaknesses in this hellscape. He's got to be more than strong- he has to be competent. Not only for his sake, but for Tubbo and Ranboo. Tommy refuses to lose any more friends, so he's going to make sure that everything turns out the way that he wants it to. This isn't the time to mess up.

The capital city is bustling with people. Most of them look completely unaffected by the war, as if they don't even know it's going on. They wear their noble outfits made from expensive satin or lace carrying fans and canes worth more than Tommy's entire outfit. Other people are wearing uniforms, marking them as officers of the law or people who work out on the ocean. Hidden in the shadows of alleyways, however, hungry people with gaunt faces and desperate eyes are staring out at the crafty merchants and rich individuals. Tommy takes in every detail without letting his eyes wander away from the main street. He knows people are looking at him, but he does not give any of them his attention.

"Welcome to the circus," Tommy hears Tubbo mutter beneath his breath. Tommy isn't sure how he's able to pick out that from the constant stream of people yelling out the prices of their wares and obnoxiously laughing at unfunny and thinly veiled insults, but he does. He lets a half-smile twitch on his face. He represses it after a second even if he can't deny that it was there. He hasn't smiled in a long time, and he knows that Tubbo would take pride in knowing that his words were what pushed Tommy back to a mortal's easiest habit.

Even though Tommy takes the main street, it takes them several minutes to cross the city. It doesn't long for him to see their destination, though. Schlatt's palace sits on the seashore, as far away from the harbor as it can be without being completely out of the way of the cityscape. It is made from a type of stone, black in shadows and dark gray in the light. The palace is mainly composed of towers surrounding a centralized, squat building. The only streaks of color are some rusty shingles covering the tops of the uniform towers. Even the curtains seem to be made from blacks and velvet reds. Tommy can't help but compare it to the Royal Palace. It's definitely personal bias, but Tommy does prefer the Royal Palace to Tubbo's childhood house. Tommy doesn't have any eye for architecture, so his only reasoning is that Schlatt's palace is too foreboding to feel like anyone's home.

As they approach the gates, he hears Ranboo swallow thickly and Tubbo grind his teeth in annoyance. Tommy ignores both of them as he pulls the horse to a deadstop. He rises to his feet from the bench, lifting up something into the air. It is a flag made from a solid teal line, white line, and a dark blue line stacked on top of each other. A yellow diamond falls on top of the horizontal lines. Tommy makes certain that the people in the two smaller towers guarding the main gates can see the flag because it's Tubbo's personal flag. If the carriage is wearing it proudly, it means that Tubbo is inside the carriage. The guardsman may not know much, but they should know that if the duke's son wants to enter his home, they are in no position to refuse. Tommy keeps a mask of neutrality as he hears metal clicking. The gate pulls up. Even before it has gone all the way, the horse begins to drag the carriage forward. They pass right under it, and they are suddenly in a whole new battlefield.

The duke's personal fortress is nearly silent. There are some natural, unavoidable noises, but other than that, it is completely silent. No one dares to utter even a whisper. The courtyard is empty. There is no decoration- not a fountain or some impressive greenery. It is a stone sea of varying shades of gray from the gate to the wide staircase that leads up to the mansion part of the palace. There are banners depicting Schlatt's symbol hanging from the tower's windows, but the mansion itself has no adornment. It is one imposing wall with a few balconies on the upper levels. It is, in Tommy's astute opinion, desolate and rather disgusting. One of those claims is more sure than the other, but Tommy refuses to believe that anyone would willingly want their home to look like this. Schlatt is an exception, but he seems to be in most cases.

As an example of his oddness, it is Schlatt who stands on the staircase instead of any of his servants. He wears a black tailcoat over a dark red shirt, matching his mansion down to the exact shading. It would be better if his hair or eyes were the same shade of green, but Schlatt has dark brown curls (like Tubbo, Tommy notes) and bright yellow eyes (similar to Shubble). Schlatt- unlike the rest of his home- is smiling. He looks comfortable even though everything around him is dreary and depressing. Tommy gives Schlatt a cautionary glance before he looks away, falling easily into place as someone who understands that Schlatt ranks higher than he does in the social ladder.

Ranboo sneaks out the side of the carriage since it isn't proper etiquette for anyone to sit with nobility except other nobility. Tommy is the one that slides off the bench to open the door for Tubbo. Tommy doesn't even get a moment to stretch because he wouldn't be able to. Ranboo races around the side of the carriage to lift his hand out. Tubbo takes it with a heavy breath, using Ranboo to help him step onto the ground. Tubbo releases Ranboo's hand once he's solidly on his feet. Tubbo doesn't stretch either as he takes a few steps forward. Ranboo flanks him on the right, and Tommy closes the carriage door. He stands behind Tubbo on the left. He sends a cautionary glare to Ranboo, and the hybrid takes the message to stop panicking so visibly.

"Why, if it isn't my precious son. I will have you know that I sent a mercenary to bring you home some months ago. They had no such luck finding you, so I assumed that you had perished in some muddy alleyway. I am pleasantly surprised to see you alive," Schlatt informs his son. Tommy thinks that is an odd thing for someone to tell their child when they haven't seen each other in half a year, but Tommy can't say anything. "Are you well, Tubbo?"

"Greetings, Father. I have been as well as I can considering the situation. I have come to the conclusion that I no longer wish to rebel against you. It was a foolish notion in the first place, but it took more than your warnings to convince me of this fact. I had to see the ugliness of Pogtopia to know that my homeland is much better. I had to experience the vileness of their king to know that you are a better fit. I hated every second of it. I know my lapse in judgment must have been disappointing, but please, Father, allow me to return home," Tubbo explains, descending into a low bow that Tommy and Ranboo followed. Tommy couldn't believe that Tubbo pulled all of that out of his ass.

"Indeed, the entire royal family are despicable people," Schlatt agreed, waving his hand away if this was all inconsequential to him. Tubbo's eyes flashed with confusion, and Tommy couldn't blame him. Schlatt was speaking from experience, but what had Wilbur ever done to Schlatt? Unless... Well, Wilbur- technically- wasn't the only member of the royal family. Tommy didn't know anything about Samantha or Wilbur's father, but they would have been around when Schlatt was coming into power. Tommy knew a story was there, and he wondered how he was going to get it.

"Tubbo, who are these two?" Schlatt asked, changing the subject before any more questions could be asked about his hatred for the royal family.

"I did not know how to survive on my own, so I had to make my own arrangements. This is Tommy, a mercenary I hired to be my guard, and this is Ranboo, an indentured servant I bought the contract of. They have served me well in my time on the streets," Tubbo explained the cover story the three of them had made up on their journey over. Out of the two of them, Tommy was the more capable fighter, so he pretended to be the guard. Since Ranboo's disposition already leaned towards nervousness, Tubbo mentioned that Ranboo could be an indentured servant that Tubbo bought to be his own personal butler. They would have to literally stick to those stories. Tommy was more than fine with fighting assassins on Tubbo's behalf, and Ranboo reasoned that cleaning up after Tubbo couldn't be that hard, especially since Tubbo promised to help behind closed doors. It was a simple plan, which was important. As Tubbo preached, complex plans were doomed to fail. Success lies in simplicity.

"You both are dismissed," Schlatt says, waving his hands as he turns around to enter back into his house.

Ranboo's eyes widen with panic, and Tommy's attention slides over to Tubbo. The duke's son hesitates for a brief second before he takes several steps forward to follow after his father. "Wait, Father, we must discuss that further. I wish for Tommy and Ranboo to be my servants. They truly have served me well. I trust them to take care of me."

Schlatt turns back around in a slow half-circle. Tubbo swallows, Ranboo tenses, and Tommy can't bring himself to care. Schlatt is terrifying with his imposing eyes and near limitless power, but Tommy isn't afraid. He doesn't feel much of anything. Even if he could feel fear, Schlatt wasn't the scariest thing here. Losing Tubbo and Ranboo was, and Tommy could kill Schlatt without hesitation no matter what complications it would pose to the mission. Schlatt looked at Ranboo, then Tommy, and although his attention remained on Tommy, he asked, "Do the two of you wish to stay?"

"I-I do, s-sir, uh.. His highness? Lordship? Um... I've... Well, M-master Tubbo has... he saved me from a-a bad situation. I want to return the favor... please- if that pleases you," Ranboo stuttered, shifting underneath the question.

Tommy meets Schlatt's eyes with their square pupils and blatantly shrugs. "I don't care. He pays me, and he said he'll feed me and clothe me if I do good. If the money keeps coming, I'll go wherever Tubbo tells me to go."

"I like a man with straightforward ideals," Schlatt gives Tommy a nod of approval. He seems less impressed with Ranboo, but he doesn't say a word to the fake servant as he looks back at Tubbo. "Remember, son, their actions reflect on you, and your actions reflect on me. I cannot afford discord in my kingdom. If you wish to keep them, hold them on a tight leash."

"Yes, Father, I will make certain that they do not bring shame to our name," Tubbo swears to Schlatt. The duke smiles at his son. He brings his hand up, waving it forward. Like a puppeteer jerking the strings of their puppet, a man steps out from the shadows of the house. He wears white robes with red trimmings and sash around his waist. He has an iron shoulder pad tied to him by thick brown leather strings. There is a leather bracer on his left arm and metal pads on his right arm. He wears a hood over his head, but in the light, his gray-blue eyes and five-o'clock shadow of brown hair are visible.

Schlatt doesn't look at the man as he gives him the order, "Chorizo, please show my son's new servants. Make sure they know the rules. It will be your head if they break one. In the meantime, son, come with me. There is much we must discuss."

Schlatt leaves, and Tubbo rushes to follow after him. Once the two of them disappear into the house, Chorizo tilts his head to the side. Tommy and Ranboo follow behind Schlatt's servant, leaving the horse and carriage for the stablemen. Chorizo takes them into a side entrance made for servants. Once they step into the dimly lit hallway, Chorizo turns to face them. He eyes them in the low lighting before he comes to a decision. "Chorizo. I'm Schlatt's personal advisor. Am I to assume that you two are Apollo and Lethe?"

"We go by Tommy and Ranboo, Blood Sheep," Tommy whispers back. A moment of silence follows before Chorizo smiles at them. Ranboo returns the smile. Tommy doesn't do anything, but he is happy that they've made contact. Wilbur told them that he has two agents in Schlatt's palace: a spy named Fundy and an assassin named Chorizo. Wilbur told them the codes that would be used to guarantee that they were the right people. Tommy expected they wouldn't cross paths with Fundy or Chorizo for weeks, but Schlatt practically delivered this meeting on a silver platter.

"Follow me. I don't have much time, so we'll just have to hit the important places," Chorizo told them. He led them down the hallway. He pulled on an unlit torch as they approached a dead end, and the wall opened up to show a grander hallway with better lighting and velvet carpet. It was just as undecorated as the servant passageway, but it was far less dirty. Chorizo spoke in low tones as they walked with each other. "Here's the situation. Schlatt's drinking is as bad as his law-making skills. Marquess Quackity handles a lot of the day-to-day affairs, if not them all."

Chorizo took a staircase down, and they entered the kitchen area. The workers didn't look at them as they bustled around. Ranboo looked around with wide eyes, but Tommy kept his focus on Chorizo. Eventually, Tommy grabbed Ranboo's jacket sleeve to make sure he didn't wander off. Chorizo led them out of the kitchen into another hallway that didn't look much different from the previous one. He began talking, "Schlatt's military force is mainly the International Soldiers. They are a mighty branch of L'Manberg's military, and they are united by their desire to be free. If we kill Schlatt, the soldiers will simply elect a new leader. Marquess Quackity is popular, but he holds no interest in the crown. Another option is Countess Minx of Pixandria or Baron Ted Nivison of Gilded Helianthia since they are Schlatt's closest drinking companion and personal guard, respectively."

Chorizo pointed towards a pair of wooden doors carved with elaborate designs. It was certainly impressive, but Chorizo only shook his head at them. Tommy nodded, guessing that was probably Schlatt's personal wing. Chorizo moved past it, continuing, "We'll have to find some way to discredit every potential candidate or convince the International Soldiers that Schlatt doesn't have their best interest at heart. Even if we do either of those, we'll also have to convince them that King Wilbur is the best choice."

"That should be easy," Tommy mutters sarcastically. James Marriott made sure to teach his students about the political situation, including the existence of the International Soldiers. Tommy knew enough that he realized where the crux of this problem was.

Chorizo smiled humorlessly as he turned to a downward staircase. They entered an underground area filled with grid-like hallways. Chorizo tilted his head down the first hall. "Tommy, you will be in room 6F. You will be on a rotation system guarding Tubbo with another knight named Spins. Ranboo, you will be in an adjoining room to Tubbo that way you have easy access to him. I will see both of you when I can, but don't draw unnecessary attention to yourself. If you get caught, don't sell anyone out. We're in this together."

Chorizo escorts Ranboo back up the stairs. Tommy rolls his eyes, entering into the underground barracks for the servants. He finds 6F easily enough, and he's surprised to see that there's someone else in there. The rooms seem to be for two people each because there are two beds, and one of them is currently occupied by a man with a closely shaven head and eyes that faded from blue to red. He looked up at Tommy with a slight frown tugging down his face. "Ayup. I'm Jack Manifold."

"Tommy," He replies. He settles down onto his bed. The two of them don't say anything else as Tommy gets settled. He'll have to go back for his bags later, but for now, he rests. He closes his eyes. He doesn't sleep as much as think, and like always, his thoughts return to Kristin. The aching in his chest hadn't disappeared. The scales on his arms haven't gone away. His wings are still not on fire.

But he's fine.