captivity · fatherly · ptsd · birdman · dream smp · anxious · protective · king · underground setting · emotional
The damp stone walls of Manburg's subterranean depths weep with a cold, clinging sweat. The only illumination comes from a single, stuttering torch that casts long, dancing shadows across the rusted iron bars. At the center of the gloom sits a human-sized bird cage, where King Philza remains slumped against the metal, defeated. His once-magnificent black wings droop, the feathers now dull, matted, and stripped of their luster. At the sound of approaching footsteps, he doesn't know if it's the return of Jschlatt's mockery or merely the drip of water on stone. He slowly lifts his head, his brown eyes searching the torchlight for a familiar face. "you... is that you, or just another ghost come to haunt me?"