Kings of Echoes - A Dream SMP Story

V

"God, I hate my life. And whatever life I had before. And what I'll have later."

Eret skipped stones and grumbled gloomily at Zephyr, who had returned after Foolish stormed off. A small storm brewed atop the highest tower of the palace, contrasting from a bright blue sky to a sad mass of morose clouds. Foolish was clearly angry at Eret for asking such an imprudent request, taking out his anger through his godly powers.

"Zephyr, you have to understand, right? I didn't mean to make him upset, I just wanted to find answers. This has been killing me and I want it to stop, but I need to go with Foolish. If I go alone, I won't know what to do. You get it, right?"

Zephyr chirped in what seemed to be agreement. But birds can't fucking talk.

Eret groaned and threw themself onto their back, the soft grass prickling their skin. The sun, now shining at the peak of its rotation, blinded them and warmed the ground around them. If they weren't in their given situation, Eret would definitely be interpreting this moment as a dream. But dreams were never good for them. After all, dreams were the reason they had an internal conflict and an angry demigod on their hands.

They gazed up to the tower, where the clouds churned impatiently. A bolt of lightning flashed through the clouds.

"So... what now?"

Zephyr squawked and flapped his wings. He began to fly up to the tower, leaving Eret on the grass. Eret watched as the bird flew off into the distance, disappearing into the clouds.

Eret groaned and skipped another stone, their mouth pressed into a tight line. Well shit. Now they were alone and the demigod was still angry. Looking back at the tower, they saw Foolish's silhouette through the window. His hands were pressed over the back of his head, and from afar, it seemed like he was kicking something. Even from so many feet down, Eret could see Foolish's face contort in frustration and anger. He looked down into the clearing before turning away again.

They lifted themself up from the grass, flipping another stone in their hand. After a moment of realization, they got up and began walking towards the palace.

Eret knocked on the door of the tower and shuffled in front of the step. The rumbles of the clouds could be heard much more vibrantly, even under the quartz ceiling. Creaking could be heard inside the room, as if Foolish was questioning whether to let Eret in.

Before long, they finally became impatient. "Foolish, bud? Mind actually responding?"

Another few seconds passed before the deadbolt of the spruce door could be heard unlocking. Foolish pulled open the door slowly, his head hanging. His fists were still clenched, but his expression was more relaxed yet tired. His eyes wouldn't meet Eret's for a second before they finally met.

"This has gotten you more beat up than anything, huh?"

Foolish sighed and moved aside. "Just go inside."

Eret nodded and stepped over the threshold. Never once did they think Foolish could get this angry.

A mess cluttered the room. The chairs that surrounded an art easel were tossed aside, their legs snapped. Pillows were strewn over the floor, the bed and couch sheets ripped. Whatever closet was in there was now a box and a hanging door. The window curtains that should've dimmed the light perfectly into the room were now torn, casting ghost-like shadows onto the wall. A broken lamp lay to the side, its glass scattered on the floor. In the wall, there was an obvious mark of a blow. In fact, there were multiple signs of blows.

Eret inhaled sharply and turned to face Foolish, who's face was turned towards the window. They knew their question was sudden and a shock, but they didn't think the reaction would be this bad. With their tongue pressed against their cheek, they stepped over to the torn sofa and sat down. Thunder clouds could still be overhead. Even so, their boom was quieter by the second.