Lionhearts ||Skephalo||

58

As the thought crosses his mind, Skeppy looks up, and interrupts nervously.

"Wait, Phil." The mage looks over to him, "You didn't properly answer how you knew this— guy, thing, was sealed."

Philza's answer comes with a grimace.

"My contact is the one who told me that Bad used his magic for a seal, and from you saying he died I was able to conclude that he used it for a decently powerful seal. Untrained mages can often use magic in situations that are...life threatening, but also other bad ones like their loved ones being under fire, so on, so forth. But this comes with a lot 'o risk right? Mana is like a river, and if you slip into it it will dash you to pieces on the rocks under the surface. You can make it out sometimes, but if you slip even a little you'll be dragged into the depths and your spell will cost your life itself." Dream swiftly adds on,

"Mana is life, and as such it will often intermingle with your life force. Sometimes, if you don't control it, the two merge and the spell will forcefully push your life out of you with the mana you intended to use. In such situations, the mage will usually panic and recoil, sometimes blowing up their spell in their face or losing their contact with magecraft. But in extreme circumstances like what he must've been in, they'll see it through to death." Hearing those words, Skeppy's blood begins to boil, and he grits his teeth, squeezing Sapnap's hand tightly.

That Bad was in such a situation...a situation where he was so scared, so desperate that the only way he could get out was a spell that consumed his life...

"Skeppy," Sapnap quietly murmurs, "Quit it. My hand isn't clay." Dream jerks for a second, eyes widening. George flicks his cheek gently as though to scold him, and Skeppy loosens his grip apologetically, realizing he had begun to constrict the poor boy's hand.

"Sorry, it makes me mad," he replies bluntly, "That he would be...so scared, so desperate? That he'd sacrifice himself to stop what was happening." Philza nods slowly.

"You may not like what else I have to share about his state," he reluctantly admits, "We should wait till later. Go find Fundy, ask him for help with training. Sapnap, go fetch Eret's men and then stay here for strategy." Sapnap nods, and pulls his hand free of Skeppy's after briefly squeezing gently; a wordless reassurance.

Skeppy glares at Phil momentarily.

"You can't say that and then send me off like a green recruit," he snaps accusingly, and Philza shakes his head.

"It's no good news Skeppy. Take my word for it, you'd be better off getting yourself protected before I go tellin' you about the worst things to have befallen your boo." Skeppy's restlessness must show through more as he grinds his teeth, because Philza adds softly, "I want you to take a bit of time to calm down a little before you get more piled onto what you're already having to deal with, okay? Just go find Fundy."

Skeppy nods curtly, and whirls around, stalking out of the room, surrounded in an aura of frustration. Being sent away like a kid— I can handle it, why does he think I need time to 'mentally prepare' myself? I've been here the whole time, when he was kidnapped, when I saw him be tortured, when I felt him die! Surely whatever has happened to him now can't be worse than DEATH. He's so caught up in his thoughts that when he slams open the door to Fundy's room he doesn't even see how the shifter is huddled over a small ball of orange glow he's cupping in his hands. It disperses with a sharp popping sound, and Fundy looks over in alarm, eyes wide.

"Skeppy— you can't just go slammin' doors open like that man," he scolds as the hunter stomps over to the foot of his bedroll, "I coulda been doing something private!"

"Are you telling me you'd jerk off while half the group is strategizing to attack the Nether?" Skeppy snaps in disgust, "Look. You offered to teach me how to guard myself and not be a massive liability, right?" Fundy nods, taken aback by the anger in Skeppy's voice. "I'd like to take that offer up. Please."