I got busy on Monday, sorry I couldn't post. Things may get a little sparse in updates for the next 3 weeks as it is the last 3 weeks of school and I have so much to do.

;-; (sobbing)

But once school is done I can hopefully get back to so much writing.

Enjoy the chapter

~~~~~

Rose Tea

Chapter Fifteen [Techno]

"Alrighty lads, let's get down to business, shall we?" Puffy set down her axe against the wall of the room and climbed up onto a cushioned chair that was raised extra high. It gave her the added height to sit behind the mahogany desk with elegance and poise. Puffy leaned back into the chair and propped her boots onto the desk, "It seems you have something to talk to me about," Puffy pulled from beneath her frilled blouse a pendant of a mermaid tail around her neck.

Techno's eyes widened, "Hold up! You mean, you are who we are waiting for??" Techno marched forward, he face-palmed and groaned, "Why the hell did that bear tell us to ride that damn boat then if we just needed to meet you."

"Exactly, you lot nearly killed us," Phil added.

Puffy tucked the necklace back underneath her blouse, "Well, he probably did it only because he knew we were going to attack it," she shrugged. Techno sighed, but he just let it be. They had, in the end, found who they were looking for, even if it almost cost them a limb.

"Take a seat," Puffy gestured to some mismatched chairs in front of her desk. Tommy and Tubbo took the two on the right, and Charlie sat on another. Techno and Phil remained standing, there were only three chairs, besides, he doubted either of them would fit. Puffy turned to Phil, "I'm surprised you haven't even tried saying hello, I think we both know I'm not just going to play dumb just because you're too bitter."

Phil flinched, "I am not bitter," Phil started but he sucked in a breath and slowly let it out, "I'm just not interested in talking to a person who's turned to a life of crime," Phil finished. His tone was calmer, but Techno could still see the way his feathers seemed to bristle.

Puffy laughed, "Wait, you two know each other?" Tommy said.

"Oh we grew up together and worked together, as knights about 6 years back. Left around the same time too," Puffy glanced over to Phil. He remained silent. That must be why, Techno realized, he saw Phil flinch when she introduced herself. He was surprised if they knew each other, however, that it took him that long to recognize her. But then again, humans did not have noses like his, and perhaps she had changed so much she was unrecognizable.

"Well," Puffy waved it off and everyone turned back to her, Phil's brooding silence forgotten, "that is a story for another day. You there, pig man, what is your purpose in seeking me out."

Techno cleared his throat, he glanced in Tommy and Tubbo's direction. They only knew the bare minimum of information, so was now the time to hear the whole story. Then there was Charlie, Techno glanced at the man, he was just here for the ride. He wasn't really a part of the journey, but he had jumped in and saved Tommy, so perhaps he could begrudgingly admit the guy was alright.

"Tubbo, can I have Wilbur's book?" Tubbo nodded and he pulled from his bag Wilbur's book which he was in charge of holding. Techno motioned for him to hand it to Puffy. She sat up straight, her feet no longer propped on her desk. She took the book with interest and opened it. Techno assumed she was reading what was written. When she put down the journal a moment later she broke out laughing.

"Is that really all that is written?" She said after a moment. Charlie leaned over the desk in curiosity and also gave the book a read, "You really don't have much to work with, do you?"

Wilbur floated down to Puffy's eye level, "Unfortunately, that is all we have to work with. That was the book I was sealed in for about 300 years, and in that time I've forgotten pretty much everything so we don't have much information to go off of either. We just know that there is something dangerous and we need to stop it."

Puffy nodded as she listened. Phil chimed in, the irritated look gone from his eyes, "We are looking for my family's axe, it was sold about 70 years ago. But it is the first of the heroes' artifacts we thought would be easiest to recover."

"Oh, you mean that one," Puffy pointed to behind her where the blackened axe she wielded earlier leaned against the wall.

"Huh?" Techno said.

Phil pushed past him and stood in between Tubbo and Charlie as he leaned against the table in shock, his eyes wide.

"That's Dream's legendary axe?" Tommy asked. Puffy nodded. Tommy looked at Techno and then back at the axe, "It's a bit small innit?"

And Tommy was right, the axe was incredibly small, at least for an average-sized human to wield. For someone of Puffy's size it was probably just right. Techno couldn't imagine that some legendary hero who killed a dragon was gifted an axe so...minuscule.

Puffy cackled with laughter, "OH come on Phil. Don't tell all the years you said you would one day reclaim your family's axe and you haven't even remembered one of the key blessings placed on it by the Church of Eon."

Phil looked into Puffy's eyes, a little glimmer of excitement just behind his expression, "You don't mean it actually changes sizes based on the wielder?"

"Did you think it was just a myth?"

"Well I've never seen the axe and it hasn't been publicly used since Dream's time. Things could have been fabricated," Phil defended. The way Phil's fingers pressed harder into the wood of the desk and his shoulders seemed to quiver with excitement, like a child told they could buy a new toy.

Puffy turned in her chair and picked up the axe with ease. She tossed it between her hands, "That's not all. It's a perfect weight no matter who holds it, never grows dull no matter what you do with it. It really is a marvelous weapon, though I'm not sure I'd want to part with it..." Wilbur opened his mouth to protest, his eyes wide in panic. Puffy held up her hand, "I never said I wouldn't, calm down."

She set the axe back down and leaned it against her desk. Wilbur closed his mouth. Techno understood his frustrations, if they had traveled all this way for nothing he'd also be upset. Techno thought back to the wiles of a child, Tommy, who told him he needed to coolly get the axe back. But he wasn't interested in making enemies of a boat that they were currently riding on. So he shelved the slight notion of throwing the sheep overboard like a sack of potatoes.

"Let's say I give you the axe, what are your plans after this?"

"We'll get Sapnap's staff and George's shield and sword," Wilbur said.

"Right, suppose you do manage that...and then what? You say you have some dangerous evil you need to fight, with who will you fight with? This pacifist behind you?" She pointed at Techno, "The knight who can't even hold a sword?" She glanced at Phil, "A couple of scrawny kids?"

"Hey!" Tommy shouted, but Tubbo pulled the boy down as he tried to stand up. He shook his head at Tommy.

Wilbur sank, he didn't speak.

"Your cause is surely noble, but you don't have the means to follow through. Besides, do you even have any leads on where the other two artifacts are?"

Puffy leaned back in her chair and shrugged, "Knowing Phil, he won't sink his teeth in too deep. Once it gets too hard he'll up and leave."

"That's not nice!" Wilbur shouted, he flew towards Puffy's face. She waved her hands through him as if to shoo him off.

"Tell me I'm wrong Phil. I would say I know you rather well, remember when we were kids...You tried learning Dream's axe-wielding style, but you gave up when you couldn't do it. Jumped to sword fighting instead. What was your excuse back then? You weren't even his blood relative so it was hopeless to even try?"

Phil remained silent, his feathers bristled, his lips frowning. Gone was the childlike fervor he displayed just moments before. Puffy continued, "I guarantee you're only here for the axe and after that, you planned to just leave. Probably, thinking that you've done enough, I bet your excuse for this is something along the lines of 'I'm no good anymore, woe is me, I can't even fight anymore'."

"And how are you any better!" Phil's wings flared open, Techno stumbled back as he was smacked by Phil's black wings. This is why he didn't like getting into human and beastfolk affairs, "Do you know what the first thing I heard about after I woke up in the infirmary after that attack? I heard you just left, turned in your sword, your crest, abandoned your family, and became a pirate. A no-good, money-grubbing thief. Every bit of honor you had washed away by the waves. Every bit of history we had dissolved like it was nothing. Like we weren't even friends."

"I couldn't stay," Puffy said.

"Bullshit. You just didn't want to face your mistakes."

"Ha!" Puffy stood up and walked around the desk to meet Phil face to face. Though the half bird man towered over her significantly, neither backed down, "And what did you do? Wallow in self-pity downing your worries every morning and night with a bottle of whiskey. What makes you any better? At least I'm doing something. You know those people my crew and I rescued, they're victims with families. What are the knights doing? Nothing." She jabbed her finger into Phil's stomach, "What have you done these past 6 years? You think suddenly marching around like a sensible adult and dumping your family's axe on them when you are done is enough to atone all the years you've sat by and done nothing?"

"With all your preaching about honor and history, you haven't done anything since that day. You don't even have enough self-pride to carry your own sword. That kid has more guts and honor than you," She pointed at Tommy without looking, "He's just a child and he still took a stand with your sword in the face of pirates."

Phil faltered. Techno could see the way his left fist squeezed tightly into a ball, his lips pressed tight into a thin line that quivered in anger. Phil turned abruptly, his wings smacked into books and decorative bottles with ships in them that came crashing down and smashed to the floor. Phil stomped out and slammed the door shut.

"Phil!" Wilbur flew after the bird, leaving the four of them quietly in the room with Puffy. Puffy sighed and knelt down to pick up the shattered glass.

"Here, let me," Charlie left his seat and started to help her pick up the pieces.

"Thank you," She dumped the pieces into a bucket in the corner. Techno couldn't believe she had gotten the mellow bird-man to crack. When he had tried, all the mad did was chuckle at him. But then again, he supposed the two shared enough history that she probably knew all the right buttons to press. She could push him in ways a stranger like him wouldn't be able to do.

Puffy took a seat at her desk again, "Your name was?" She looked at him.

"Techno."

"Right, Techno. I'll give you guys the axe, but on a few conditions."

Back to business, it seemed, "First, convince Phil to stay with you guys. Regardless of what he thinks of himself, he'll be invaluable on your journey. Even if he's not able to fight, it'll do him some good to stay out of that house. He loves the place very much, but it's also a place of great sorrow for him, if he goes back after this he'll just get drunk again."

She paused, "Second, I have a task I need you all to complete. Call it a prophecy, if you'd like. There's a place I need you all to visit, I have reliable information that something will happen there and I think you people are the ones who'll get the job done."

"And what is this job of yours," he asked.

She shook her head, "That I'm afraid was not told to me, but I have very reliable information from a good source. If you can do these two things for me, then I will let you have the axe." Puffy intertwined her fingers together as she sat expectantly at her desk. Techno narrowed his eyes, reliable my ass, that was basically a whole lot of nothing to go off of.

Techno paused to contemplate. He was not a fan of just agreeing to things without a better grasp of the information. But if there was one thing he picked up on, it was that this sheep pirate cared for Phil. If he gathered anything from humans and beastfolk, it's that they are selfish. A person only interested in themselves wouldn't spend the time checking up on a friend they never spoke to. How was it that Puffy, who probably spent all her time on the seas, knew that Phil was drinking himself into a stupor? Unless she kept up to date on how he was doing. How she did that, Techno didn't care, but the fact she knew is what was important.

It sounds like a lot of effort that wouldn't be needed if she truly cut him off, so he understood to some extent that she had his best interests at heart when she asked for that favor. Then there was the issue of the other condition. She offered very little information about what he would need to do, it was open and unknown to him as Wilbur's memories were to him. They'd be going in blind.

Techno sighed, they needed the axe, "Fine."

Puffy smiled, "Great, as for the first condition, you have until you complete the second condition to fulfill it. But don't tell him I put you up to this, alright boys?" She looked over the four of them. Everyone nodded. "Then let's get you guys comfortable, we have a bit of a journey before we get there."

~~~~~

Techno walked behind Tommy and Tubbo and Charlie as their cloaked escort led them down below deck. The ship was bigger than Techno thought, it looked big on the outside but felt way bigger on the inside. And this place was significantly cleaner than the other ship.

After leaving Puffy's office, she called for this guy named Foolish to escort them down to a room to stay in.

"Why do you wear that cloak, isn't it hard to see?" Tubbo asked.

The man chuckled and kept leading them down the hall. He held out his arm and rolled up his sleeve, "I attract a bit of attention." Techno's eyes sparkled for a moment before he blinked and shook his head. Damn instinct. What had grabbed his attention was the glimmering gold of the man's arm beneath his sleeve. With the heavy green cloak, long sleeves, long pants, and gloves he never even would have noticed.

"Holy shit, that's cool, you born like that?" Tommy asked.

Foolish shrugged, "You could say that."

"So how do you be a pirate?"

"Oh honestly, not sure. I'm just here for a bit because they saved my life when I was washed ashore. But I don't have many memories from before so Puffy and her crew were kind enough to give me a place on the ship until I can sort myself out. I'm thinking of leaving the next time the ship docks though, I would like to find out more about who I am." His light and cheery voice sort of rang through Techno's ears. Though besides his strange appearance, Techno was also curious about his smell. If he thought Charlie was strange, then this guy was even stranger. It wasn't human, or beastfolk, or monster even. It was kind of murky, like a heavy fog.

"That's a lot like our friend Wilbur," Tubbo said, "He's a ghost with no memory of anything, he says he was alive 300 years ago, though," Tubbo added.

"Really? That's cool, I hope he finds what he is looking for then," Foolish turned to face them, Techno could only see the unassuming smile beneath the cloak. Foolish stopped walking. "Here we are."

Techno had to stop himself before he crashed into Tubbo as Foolish stood outside a doorway, "These are some of our best rooms on the ship." Foolish pointed to 3 different doors in the hall, "Two beds in each. Go ahead and take your pick."

Foolish pointed to a sign nailed to the hallway, "If you follow these signs they will take you to the shared mess hall, dinner will be at sunset."

Foolish nodded and smiled to them before heading down the hall and leaving them to their business.

"Well, guys, I think I will take a nap, it's been a hectic day. I'll see you guys later," Charlie waved, Techno nodded and watched as he entered the room farthest down the hall of the three Foolish pointed to. Techno opened the door immediately to his left and walked in. He dumped his bag on the floor. Techno paused.

He turned around to see Tommy and Tubbo had walked into his room, "You know there are only 2 beds in here...right?"

"Yeah," Tubbo said.

Techno paused. "So...."

"Well, Phil isn't back yet so we figured we could just hang with you until he gets here or until dinner." Techno was about to protest and send the two boys into the next room. But the two boys placed down their bags and jumped into the bed opposite the one Techno was going to choose. They sat on the bed. Techno was forced to hold his tongue. Sure, why not, make yourselves at home. He had hoped for a quiet moment to himself.

"So, why didn't you tell us?" Tommy said. Techno looked at the two boys, "You couldn't trust to tell us about your grand mission or something? I mean I did think it was odd you guys only told us about searching for the axe, but not why...still me and Tubbo are trustworthy. Didn't we do a lot for you?"

Technically no, but was Techno really going to argue with a child about that. Techno bit back his growing sigh, he felt like he did a lot of that since meeting Wilbur. But he could feel now wasn't a good time to respond with a sigh.

Techno took a seat on the bed. It was low to the ground and felt like it would buckle under his weight if the frame hadn't been built into the floor of the room.

He certainly was not good at this comforting sort of thing. Techno considered himself a rational guy, though everything since meeting Wilbur felt like the least rational course of action he could be taking. But besides that, if it were him he wouldn't have brought Tommy and Tubbo on this "adventure" as they called it. He was against it from the start.

"We didn't tell you because the journey would be dangerous. There's no reason a couple of human kids need to get involved in that kind of mess." Which was true, again if it was up to him those two would still be back in Crowle out of this messy ordeal. But due to Wilbur's insistence, the two orphans were here. It was Phil's idea to withhold information from them for the time being.

"So what were you going to do with us?" Tommy frowned, "Tell us to sit quietly in a room while you and Wilbur fight monsters and shit?"

Techno scratched his head, where were Phil and Wilbur when he needed them for all this human emotion stuff. Phil did mention one morning when Techno was very tired and hardly paying attention, "I think Phil mentioned taking you guys back to Crowle or something."

"What! We don't want to go back to that fucking place, what about our opinions? We can be useful, I'll take on all the thugs, whatever fuckers you gotta fight, I'll fight a 100 of em!" Tommy leaped up in defense, he pointed to Tubbo, "And Tubbo can heal...sometimes."

"Yeah, only sometimes though, mainly tiny cuts and scrapes though. It's not very strong. It kinda happens more on a fluke."

Techno blinked, "Wait, hold up. Rewind for a bit, You can heal, Tubbo?"

"Oh, did we not mention that?" Tubbo said. The boy scratched his head and his eyes wandered as he thought. Techno just stared him dead in the face, "Well, to be honest, it's a pretty weak ability so I guess we forgot." Tubbo added.

Techno decided not to ask more, at least right now. He would absolutely bring it up at a later date given that this kind of information is just a tad bit important. Probably.

"Yeah, Tubbo's got a bit of magic or what not, but it's one of those things that just kind of happens. Happens a lot when he cries–"

"Hey!" Tubbo punched Tommy in the arm, "You're the crier, you hate pain. Every time you get a cut you come to me you asshole."

"When Phil and Wilbur get back, I'll have Wilbur explain to the two of you what's going on," Techno changed the topic. "There isn't much he can say, however, given his memory loss. You can bring it up with them about what you want to do from there."

"Yeah sure, pass it off to Wilbur." Tommy scoffed, "Oh by the way Tubbo," Tommy glanced at Tubbo, "how did you end up with those other guys. I've been wondering that for a bit, yeah?"

"Oh easy," Tubbo clapped his hands together, "When I went down to find you some medicine, some guys saw me and just escorted me into a room with all of them. I wasn't quite sure what had happened but all of them were pretty nice to me." Tubbo said nonchalantly.

"Buh, wh-what?"

"That does remind me, shouldn't you be groveling in sickness? We are still on a boat." Tubbo brought up a good point.

Tommy looked down and patted himself. He laughed, "Holy shit you're right Tubbo!" Tommy leaped up, "I'm cured! Tubbo, come on! Forget everything else, we're exploring the ship. These guys are pirates, they must have treasure!" Tommy pulled Tubbo up and off the bed.

"Uh..." Techno watched as Tommy and Tubbo ran out of the room. Maybe he should have told them it probably wasn't a good idea to go snooping around on this boat. But oh well.

With a moment finally to himself again, Techno laid back on his bed. He looked up at the ceiling of his room, the boat was surprisingly smooth. Maybe that's why Tommy didn't feel sick. Even to Techno, the boat hardly felt like it was moving, but he knew for a fact it was.

He thought back to what Puffy had said to them. Who was Wilbur supposed to "save the world" with? Their motley crew of outcasts? He held up his hands above him, a thin bandage still wrapped around his palms. But the wounds were just about all healed now. Techno untied the bandages, they fell to the side. He took a look at the scar that remained on his flesh, a reminder of him losing control once more. If not for the ghost, he could have killed an unrelated person.

On this journey of theirs, he would surely face many more obstacles, ones where it would be impossible to run or hide. He was likely the only one among them who could fight, yet he chose not to.

He would need to make that choice now. Would he run or would he fight? Was it worth fighting for these unlikely comrades of his, who despite knowing what he was still stood beside him? He was still the same as a zombie or a spider or even a creeper, he was one of them.

Techno remembered 6 years ago when he first journeyed to the overworld. He had tossed aside his weapons, a refusal to fight buried deep in his heart. He knew nothing of the world of the creatures he used to mercilessly defeat, he couldn't even speak their language. His understanding of their tongue was crude at best, yet in all that haze he still managed to make a friend.

Could he call the old man that? The one he couldn't save, the one who gave him food and shelter and taught him to speak. He hoped the man wouldn't mind him viewing him as a friend, even if all this time he never bothered to learn his name. It was a small comfort to him, a guilt comfort.

Could he call these people friends? Wilbur, Phil, Tommy, and Tubbo? Could he lean on them? Was he worthy of that kind of humane kindness? He knew the majority of the world did not view monsters as friends. He was their enemy...and who knew how long these four would be by his side too. If they really knew him...really saw him for what he kept buried...Techno was not sure they would remain by his side.

When it came down to it, could he fight for them even though he could lose control?

He heard a knock at the door, and a moment later Phil walked in. Wilbur floated behind him.

"Hey there, mate," Phil said.

"Welcome back," Techno sat up. He pushed aside his worries and doubts for now. They stared at each other for a moment, Phil took a seat on the bed.

"I'm sorry for that terrible display earlier, it was not very mature of me."

Techno almost responded with his usual passive and uninterested retorts. He bit his tongue and held back. "I am...just glad you are...ok?" He tried. His attempt was awful, he knew that. Playing human with others felt foreign and strange to him. To care for others was not something that came easy to him, not all the time at least.

Wilbur and Phil stared at him.

"Pfft," Phil cracked.

"Are you ok??" Wilbur asked.

Techno stood up and frowned, "I'm going to explore the ship!" He stormed out of the room. His cheeks felt hot. Damnit! Forget them. See if he tried that again!

~~~~~

Word Count: 4438

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