BLIND | DreamSMP

IV - Intrusion

Techno had been traveling for hours, and both he and his horse Carl were beginning to tire.

Now, after what had seemed like forever, his house was in sight, and soon Carl would be tucked away in the stable and Techno would be asleep in his bed.

Carl's breath turned to steam in the cold air, rising from the horse's nostrils in small white clouds. Techno tugged gently on the reins, guiding Carl towards the stable. When they were close enough Techno dismounted, his thick red cape swinging out behind him in an elegant circle.

He took hold of Carl's bridle and led the exhausted horse into the stable, tethering him to one of the vertical wooden beams with a lead rope before arranging a soft blanket over his glossy brown coat. Techno checked that Carl was comfortable once more before finally heading inside.

He opened the door and frowned. Something was off, and though he wasn't sure what, he had learned to trust his instincts.

Techno stepped inside slowly, one hand straying towards the sword at his hip. The house was dark, all the lights off, as he'd left it.

Techno shrugged off his cape and hung it on a hook jutting out from the wall. He moved forwards towards his chests, half expecting an attack, but no one jumped out at him.

He reached the chests and grabbed a match out of their neatly organized contents, striking it on his wall. The room was flung into a sudden light by the flickering flame.

Techno lit the lanterns adorning the walls, further brightening the house. It didn't look like anyone was here. So why was he so on-edge?

Techno grabbed a lantern, holding it tightly in one hand as he scanned the room. Something under his shoes crunched, and he jumped back, pulling out his sword in panic.

He sheathed the blade when he looked down and realized he was standing in shattered glass. Techno looked around, confused as to where it had come from, and noticed one of his brewing stands had been knocked over, the potions smashed and the blaze rod crushed. Techno straightened, fuming. The potions had taken forever to brew, and blaze rods were expensive. Part of the actual brewing stand had been snapped off, and now the entire thing was completely unusable. Someone had definitely been here while he was gone.

Techno walked to his ladder, climbing down to his stone basement, lantern still in hand. Everything looked the same as it had when he left, and after some further investigation, it was indeed untouched.

Techno climbed back up the ladder, heading to his attic. It didn't look like the intruder was still here, but it wouldn't hurt to check before he got comfortable and let down his guard. Tomorrow there would be a serious reckoning for whoever was responsible for this home invasion, but the blood god was tired right now.

Techno finally ascended to his bedroom, which doubled as a study and library. It was his place of comfort, perhaps the only area he felt truly safe in the world.

He stopped short when he saw the interior of his once-polished room.

Techno stared in shock at the mess, holding up the lantern to properly see everything. His meticulously organized bookshelf was in disarray, books scattered on the floor, a few half open, their spines broken, while others had pages torn out, littering the floor; one or two were marked with small black hand-prints. A bottle of ink on his desk had been knocked over, and everything he had been previously working on was covered in the black liquid. Ruined.

The small table that displayed different baubles and trinkets of sentimental value had been desecrated too, the mementos toppled over, a couple broken or knocked to the floor.