Reunion
Content Warning
Contains descriptions of scars, body horror, and mutilation of a monster.
The undead monstrosity that overpowered the unlikely trio had begun to loom over them. Laddegus couldn't feel his feet, nor one of his arms, and Gieg couldn't risk losing much more of himself and was hiding to try and at least save his lover's core. Even after the dreaded Chromidas had wandered onto the scene after tailing the duo, it had been knocked flat on its back by the might of the creature, even having its bandages torn asunder from the jagged blade-like bone that coated its arm and was unresponsive. As Laddegus looked up in horror, all he could do was try to crawl away. It pinned him down with its foot and snarled at him. But after hearing Laddegus scream in pain, Chromidas snapped awake.
As it scrambled to its feet and took its blade in hand, It didn't snarl. It didn't scream. It yelled.
"LEAVE. HIM. ALONE."
It punctuated each word with a heavy, unnaturally fast slash of its blade, as if it had the weight of a feather. The tail. A leg. An arm. Even after the creature had been wounded, Chromidas didn't stop slashing. It cut the sewn-together abomination into finer, indescernible shreds than it had been assembled from, its clotted blood staining the bare grass outside the castle it had emerged from.
As Laddegus turned around to see what had been going on, he and by extension Gieg, saw the sight. The hunter only turned to face them after it was sure the monster had truly stopped moving, and unwittingly gave them a good look at its face.
The bandaged hunter in dried-blood-brown armor had finally been unmasked. But the glimpse of a face underneath did not fill Laddegus or Gieg with terror. Not entirely, at least.
Faded blue hair, with a face split down the middle; one side with typical grey skin and a functioning orange eye. The other resembling dried carrion with teeth protruding from the lipline and a grotesque amount of eyes, with only the centermost one focusing on the two while the rest appeared to spiral around in the socket to allow it to move.
Within Laddegus and Gieg, a memory resurfaced. And together, they had uttered something under their breath.
"...Chromad?"
Its single antenna seemed to perk up at this name. And then droop as it covered the mutilated side of its face with its claw. With its free hand, it pointed to Laddegus...
"b... rothhh...er."
...and to the bracer containing Gieg.
"s-...sol...lan."
Laddegus, very slowly, crawled towards it before sitting upright. Gieg disengaged to help try and piece the archlich back together as they... tried to, at least, talk.
"I... We were siblings, the two of us."
A weak nod.
"What... happened?"
"c-... cant... remmemrrrrrh..." it growled as it clutched its head.
"... That is fine. We can help you sort through it later once we get you hel-"
"NNNNRRRRNGHG... Nnno."
"...I'm, sorry?"
"Nno. C-cant. risk, it. Can't. Think."
They shuddered before abruptly slamming their head into the dirt and growling in pain to themselves to nurse a headache. Laddegus winced.
"Looks like they're pretty messed up." Gieg noted, reattaching Laddegus's feet. "Whatever attacked 'em must've given them some kinda virus. I could try to take a look if y-"
"RRRRRRRRRRR" Chromad growled loud enough to wake the dead, causing Gieg to scramble behind Laddegus like a frightened cat.
"okay noted ill stay away"
The archlich gave his boyfriend a reassuring scratch behind the horns before turning his attention back to his sibling. He didn't remember that much of them yet, but he recognized the gentle choking noise as their way of stifling a sob.
"You... you do not have to hide like this. We can get you help."
"...nno, jeod... i... ddeserv... this..."
The archlich's eyes dimmed. "I... why would anyone deserve this?"
Chromad raked their claws against the dirt as they slowly sat back up. A green-ish fluid formed beneath their good eye. "ff...failed. to s-ssssave, our town. nnothing. lrft." As they looked back up at him, they noticed he'd brought his hands stretched out to his sides. It took them a moment to process this as their eye twitched. They collapsed and hugged him, limp at first, before tightening their embrace.
"Whether you feel you've failed or not... I know now you are still my sibling. And I am glad to know you are still among us."
Gieg curled up where he was, staring away from the two. It was then that he noticed a trembling claw, palm turned upward, reaching towards him slowly. His forest-green eyes darted over to it before hesitantly, but ultimately, leaning his head into their hand.
"sss...srry. fr yelllling."
"...It's fine." he said. "You've, probably had enough demons messing with your body for a lifetime." His speech gave way to a low, gravelly hum as they gently ran the knuckles of their hand down his back.
The three sat there for a while. Though they would eventually have to part ways again, they took solace in knowing that they were all here again.