Chapter Text
Xornoth opened their eyes.
They were blurred by something watery that swam in and out of the view of their vision, and when they blinked it only clouded it more. It was a weird feeling, and it threatened to spill down their face and to dim the rest of their senses.
It wasn't until they brought up a shaking hand to wipe the blur off that they realised what it was. Tears.
With trembling breaths, they tried to push themselves up. They failed miserably, only managing to slightly roll over onto their side, where the ocean was gently lapping their skin. Why were their clothes soaking?
It was the waters glittering reflection that made them gasp, jerk straight upright. Their skin was no longer the colour of the black void but their original pale pink. Their eyes were still red, but it was just the iris this time, not the pupil or whites. Horns remained - but elven antlers, not the corrupted, thick stubs of something resembling a dragon.
They knew their reflection had changed, but it was something they hadn't been able to see beyond the movement of their hands. Nobody had given them a mirror, despite the amount of self reflection they were told to do, and if it hadn't been for their hands then they would had forgotten that their appearence had changed at all.
Xornoth reached out to touch the water, but stopped suddenly. Memories of the dreadful night before came crashing onto them.
Screaming, screaming, screaming-
The ocean clogged their nostrils and their throat, making breathing a chore-
Nails snapped out of sharp points scrabbled at sea soaked wood-
They had seen the opportunity and tried to take it, but maybe they shouldn't have because this was the nightmare death their parents had warned them about, the way elven sailors had been smashed to pieces but the force of the waves-
Xornoths hands clawed at their wrists, their chest, their legs to see if the shackles were still there. A few were, iron bands fastened on cruelly tight around the wrists and ankles and bringing tiny beads of blood up, binding around the skin immovably.
The sun stared down upon them, daring them to stand up and run. Xornoth didn't even consider it. Surely one of the elves would find them soon and take them back to Scott - for what was one demon (demon, they suppressed the shudder. They were a demon) compared to the war crimes they'd committed against the entire world? Entire towns and cities destroyed, the Cod Empire in ruins, the Overgrown poisoned, Sovereign Shrubs home world destroyed.
But the area was not the Rivendell mountains. There were tall rock structures yes, but not the peaks of Rivendell, or the looming faces of the Crystal Cliffs, or the borders of the Grimlands, or the ant hill of Pixandria. These rock structures were of clay rock and red sandstone, stained with colours of gold and brown and red.
Xornoth let their eyes slip shut instantly. Mezalea. Also known as the Empire ruled by King Joel, who was married to Scott's sister in law.
(...Ocean Queen Lizzie was their sister in law too, but that wasn't important. She'd probably murder them for so much as touching a hair on her baby brothers head, and they had. Multiple times.)
So Xornoth rested their head on the warm sand beneath them. Mezelea wasn't so far from the Lost Empire, from Joey- no. They refused to think of going to him for help. Surely Joey's love had been fueled purely by corruption; he would never love them now he had woken up from Exor's spell. And he had reinstated alliances with Rivendell. That option had been out the window for a long time.
Where else would they seek refuge? Pixandria was too far. The Spring of the Overgrown would sense them immediately. They had no chance of fighting or running from Farmer Queen Pearl of Smallhold. Mythland was right next to Smallhold and King Sausage would duel them no matter how many times he was sent to the Spirit Realm. The Undergrove's spirits and wolves despised them. It seemed like they were trapped no matter where they were.
King Joel couldn't see them, Xornoth reminded themself. As long as they ducked low when the Ocean Queen visited her husband, they should be safe.
'Safe' was relative though. When Exor found them, he would kill them.
A sudden flash of communication seared into their mind. A private message from Exor himself.
Xornoth shuddered, but they were a useless servant turned failure and they had no power to stop him from crawling through the cracks of their mind-
Did you really think you escaped?
They couldn't cry again. They'd already cried earlier.
With a great hitching breath, Xornoth curled up and wished for something to end this. Something quick, like a lightning strike, or a creeper blast. More than they deserved, but all that they wanted.
Something crunched on the sand next to them. Xornoth wondered what it was. Perhaps an axolotl from the Ocean Queen's army. Or a Raven from Mythlands spies. Or one of Rivendell's owls, poised to claw out their eyes and run to the nearest embassy and have them carried off in chains. Neither sounded particularly good, but they didn't have much of a choice but to oblige to whatever it was.
(Funny. They never had a choice, did they?)
But all of those were lighter than the footsteps. Actual footsteps. Xornoth had never been one to pray to Aeor, but if he was even remotely bothered, they begged he would help them.
No response. Aeor never gave anyone a response, or so it seemed.
"Uh... Hello?"
Xornoth sniffed. Great. A person, who was more than likely to know who they were. Maybe they were merciful and would grant them a quick stab into the heart. Or maybe they were all too thrilled to spend hours hurting them. They didn't know - how could they? It wasn't like Exor had ever bothered to give them telepathy, and it wasn't like he'd let them keep it.
"I mean, I don't know if you can speak. But uh... are you okay? I mean, you look pretty banged up." The voice paused. "Are you an elf? Do you want me to take you to a Rivendell embassy?"
The question had probably been well-meaning, they probably just looked like some elf right now, but Xornoth flew up in alarm, voice constricted in panic. "No! Please- please no- I- don't take me back- please-!"
The person blinked back at them, placatingly raising their hands. They looked rather odd, wearing a crown, a royal purple coat, and had brown hair with a green streak.
The face was strangely familiar to them. Clearly, it wasn't someone they had terrorised often or they would already be six feet under mesa sand, but at the same time-
Their eyes focused on the wedding ring on his finger and a sudden wave of realisation hit them like a pile of bricks.
Fuck.
"King- King Joel?!" Xornoth edged back slightly in terror. Oh Aeor, oh Exor, oh Spring, oh Mother Wolf, oh Storm- they were totally, completely fucked. They were looking at their brother-in-law, who was married to the Ocean Queen who was sister to the Codfather who was married to Scott- and Scott- Scott would-
"Hey, hey dude! It's okay. Chill, take a breath." The King of Mezelea raised his hands slightly, as not to agitate them. "First off, what's your name and what're your pronouns?"
It was a stupid question but... they couldn't fight how they shivered, shoulders slumping and head hanging. It was useless to lie anyway.
"My name's Xornoth." They said slowly, very slowly. "I'm... I use they/them pronouns."
King Joel tilted his head.
Then looked at them up and down.
"What, like that demon?"
They looked down at their knees. Their antlers brushed their leggings. "Yeah."
Just the smallest flicker of eyesight showed the Mezalean King looking at them with the most confused face they had ever seen. Ever. He looked as if someone had snatched all of the thoughts out of his head and replaced them with seventy dogs all yapping for attention.
Pathetic... Exor whispered to them. Just like you.
"But... You're not supposed to be real?" King Joel tilted his head, face the utter painting of bafflement. "I thought you were like, some kind of legend or something. Like Aeor. Or the Wolf Spirit."
They had no idea whether to be offended or not. Whilst sure, they hated themself, it was more than slightly annoying that he had particularly no idea who they were, and they would voice that if not for the knowledge that Joel could just stab them right now and there was no guarantee they would wake up.
"...the Wolf Spirit is real?" Xornoth swallowed.
"Oh, is she? I thought the Wolf Spirit was like, Shrub's personal attack dog. I have a few attack dogs of my own." Joel's eyes gained a faraway look as if he was daydreaming of dogs, before snapping back to them. "Anyways, official Joel is back! So... Do you need a doctor or something...?"
They stared at him in disbelief. Xornoth had corrupted the lands of his empire, his wife's empire, his brother-in-law's empire, his brother-in-law's husband's empire, made Sausage kill him multiple times in one hit, and he was asking if they needed a doctor?
Gloved hands waved in front of their face. "Hellooo? Anybody home?"
"I- yes?" Xornoth sputtered, weakly trying to prop themself up.
"Okay... Do you have brain damage? Did you hit your head on a rock?" Joel asked, not unkindly, but incredibly bluntly. "What kind of rock was it? I've hit my head loads of times, mostly on terracotta. Lizzie says that Jimmy hit his head on sandstone when they were kids. D'ya reckon the type of rock affects the head damage?"
They were suddenly aware of the exhaustion slowly settling in over their body. They were also aware that he was maybe slightly insane. "I... I don't know?"
"Oooo boy, your speaking is getting kinda slurry." Joel's hand was thrust in front of their face again, accidentally hitting their antlers. "How many fingers am I holding up?"
Xornoth slumped against the ground, eyes trying to make out the distorted shape of their brother in law's fingers. "Uhm... three."
"...none."
"Oh." They whispered, their head resting on the sand. It was grittier than the soft Pixandrian dunes, but they could take it. It was different to Exor's vile corruption at least. And it would certainly be a lot more comfortable to sleep on.
"Hey- hey, Xornoth, demon, random elf person-" They were faintly aware of Joel shaking their shoulder vigorously. "Don't pass out, okay? Can you make it until I can get you to the Matral Palace?"
"No." Xornoth said shortly. Their eyes slipped close in exhaustion, despite their fighting to keep them open. They could stay awake until they reached the Matral Palace, right? They were just gonna rest their eyes for a little bit. Just rest their eyes. The very smallest bit possible.
Of course, Joel picked them up right there and then bridal style.
"It's alright lad. Wait, am I okay to call you lad?" Upon feeling their heavy nod, Joel relaxed. "Okay lad. Well, let me know if you pass out or something. Or die. Dying would suck. Give me a warning beforehand. Or a sneeze - sneezing works! Now brace yourself, incoming elytra flight - wheee! See? This is a lot of fun! I love hanging out with the in-laws."
...Xornoth was already starting to regret their decision to let Joel pick them up. But by then they had already passed out in his arms.
Did you really think you'd escape me that easily?