lorichu - Tumblr blog

[lorichu]

I'm sick of internet negativity, so let's combat it: reblog this and saying something nice/pay a compliment to the prev in the tags.

[lorichu]

[lorichu]

Deadly Silver Bells

Red and green lights had often indicated key information throughout the Custodium, but this week, they simply were decorative lights to match the seasonal holiday. Throughout the halls, Christmas lights had been put up on door frames, sweaters replaced the dull white lab coats, and the looming threat of another portal opening on the back burner for the time being. For once, the projections for the next portal event were far enough from the holidays to allow a short celebration, much to the relief of the staff.

The intercoms were alive with music cliche to the time of year. The labs produced baked goods with scientific precision, and the hangars hosted potlucks to the off duty personnel. While the higher levels of the facility brimmed with festivities, the lowest level was cold and quiet in comparison. With the exception of the observation room.

It was modest compared to what was happening upstairs. A tiny Christmas tree, sparsely decorated. A few hung lights and whatever food could be spared from the other parties. It was only her in the observation room, and Kane leaning against the wall just outside.

“You know you don’t have to do this right?” He said while peeking into the room. “I know this doesn’t happen a lot, I don’t want you to miss out.”

Inside, she could be seen pushing a dolly with a covered tray. “And leave you here alone? On Christmas? I don’t think so.” 

“I don’t even know what Christmas is.” Kane replied as she continued to push the dolly past the table. “Look, Dr-”

“So formal, you know you only have to do that with the commander right?” Dr. Houghton replied with a bit of tease in her voice. A few weeks ago, she’d told Kane her actual name. After a few days, he slipped and called her something else. “You can just call me by my actual name.”

Kane’s gaze conveniently went to the wall next to her. “You don’t have to stay down here for me, Eliza.”

“The other one.” She said with a cheeky grin.

“...Eli.” He muttered begrudgingly. “Still doesn’t change the fact that you’re missing out up there.” She finally rolled the dolly close to the edge of the open room, applying the brakes on the wheels.

From there, she leaned on the handle to take a breath. “Like it or not, I’m spending today down here with you.” Eliza replied, looking up at him. “I know I haven’t been able to come down here as often lately, so let me make that up.” The apologetic tone and soft smile brought Kane out of his reluctance. He fully made himself known, standing in front of the elevated room and kneeling down. Kane leaned forward, with his forehead pressing against the wall. Her hair blew as he exhaled, filling the room with a slight draft.

“You sure?” Kane made sure to whisper, considering how close he was to the doctor now.

His eyes widened slightly as she stepped closer to him, placing her hand on his nose. The touch was electric as his nerves flinched. “Of course.” An appreciative smile graced his face and he did his best to lean a bit closer without damaging the ceiling. Eliza lightly laughed upon feeling a slight nudge push her back. “Anyways,” She stepped back and motioned to the dolly. “I made you something.”

Eliza pulled off the cover from the tray, revealing a gingerbread cookie the size of an actual person. His eyes opened up a bit more seeing what was on the dolly. “What is that?” Kane’s brow furrowed. “And why is it shaped like a person?” He asked while turning his head towards her.

“I dunno, it's just how they’re shaped.” She shrugged while walking over to the table and grabbing a gingerbread cookie for herself. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen one that wasn’t shaped like that.” Dr. Houghton tossed it into her mouth while Kane visibly winced.

“You don’t find that weird at all?” He asked, hesitantly taking a small bite from the cookie’s arm.

She nodded no, about to speak before getting a ring from her phone. Letting out an annoyed huff, Eliza picked up the phone. “What?” She said curtly.

Kane watched through the window as a slew of silent curses left her, and he leaned in towards the room with a furrowed brow. He didn’t need to hear the conversation to gauge the severity and he already had a few ideas of what had gone on once she hung up.

“The Gehenna gate opened up.” Dr. Houghton said with a sigh while walking to the door. “Double event and some of the lift mechanisms for the buildings are frozen shut, you’ll have to intercept as far as possible from the city.” The doctor rushed out of the door before he could get a word in. Sighing, he pulled away from the observation room and awaited for deployment.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The control room was emptier than usual, with only a few techs at the terminals along with the commander and Dr. Houghton. Given the intercept location, not much was needed, and ideally, the monsters would be dispatched before anyone from the mainland even noticed.

“What are the ships for?” Cade asked with a furrowed brow. The small escort group consisted of two light destroyers and two carriers. Given the near zero chance of survival for any human crew, they were retrofitted with specialized systems for autonomous control. 

As Kane strode forward into the fog and as he did, the four ships slowly followed by his side. “Improvisation.” She stated plainly, with Cade turning his head, brow raised. “Kane usually fights in the city where he has cover and materials he can use in whatever way needed. Out there, he’s got nothing, not even visibility.”

“Right.” He muttered as Kane disappeared out of sight from the cameras positioned at the dock. From here out, the only indications of battle they’d have would be from the audio and communications channel.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

For once, the ocean was well and truly cold. As his legs surged through the rigid waters, a slight throbbing could be felt in his thighs while needles poked at his toes. The same feeling was starting to nip at his chest and arms. “Eli?” He muttered, biting his tongue to quiet some of the discomfort.

“Frostbite…” The doctor said with a muted curse.

“What bit me?” He asked in a confused tone.

“Nothing is biting- actually yes, the cold is. Your skin is freezing, and your body is having to repair that damage. The only problem is, it can’t prevent it from occurring.” She explained. “You’re big, but this storm is pretty damn bad. I’ll see about lining your suit with thermals next time.”

Kane didn’t bother a response, fearing even that would be too much and slow his regeneration down. The faint lights of the city had faded dozens of steps ago, and after a few more, the faint sound of bells stopped him. “What is it?” Dr. Houghton asked.

“You can’t hear that?” His brow furrowed as another barely audible chime sounded from a different direction.

“I’m not picking up anything… Shit, but they’re close.” An annoyed growl left him, he could hear the two creatures but the comm link in his ears was muddying his hearing. Even when she wasn’t talking there was an idle static which drowned out what he assumed to be important sound ques. It dawned on him that in this arena with zero visibility, he needed to lose what was usually an advantage in these battles.

“Turn it off.”

A pause from the control room. “What?”

“The comm thing. Turn it off.” The hairs on the back of his neck raised abruptly. He was sure he just missed some important audio cues. “Trust me?”

“...Always.” Dr. Houghton whispered.

Looking down at the console in front of her, she hesitantly typed in a couple of commands. Cade turned to her with a furrowed brow which only deepened when silence filled the room and the comm pieces in their ears. Eliza waited patiently for a retort from her commander, however, he just gave the doctor a questioning glance before turning towards the screen. 

The silence was broken by the audio of the cameras on the dock which filled the room with an echoing breeze and faint chime of what sounded like bells in the far distance.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

What couldn’t be heard by the control room was metal being torn in half as Kane dug his claw into the aircraft carrier next to him. The sharpened appendage slid across just beneath the runway with the ease of tearing paper. When the outline was done, he turned to the destroyer on his other side.

Kane slipped his hand under the front of the ship and lifted up, surprised at something actually having some weight for once. The hull crumpled like aluminum as he used his free hand to rip out the fuel compartment and free it from the vessel. As black oil began to drip from the openings, he poured the thick inky substance along his arms and made sure to cover his hands in them as well.

The ship groaned as it was let go and crashed back into the water, though the abuse it had taken on wasn’t quite over. From inside the still remaining front section of the vessel, the anchor chain would violently take its leave, with sparks flying everywhere and a few gears bursting out of the hull. Kane had taken the anchor and wrapped it around an enclosed fist, making a sort of improvised brass knuckle.

Leaving the destroyer to sink to the bottom of the ocean, it was the turn of the aircraft carrier yet again. Kane simply slipped his fingers under the cut runway and lifted up. He winced as the long piece of tarmac weighed more than he was expecting. Looking towards the middle, he found a few mangled support beams that could act as a handle.

He quickly readjusted his grip and wielded the piece of runway as a shield, similar to the one he was given earlier that year against a napalm spitting beast. With his kit fully made, there was one thing left to do. Positioning the claws on his forefinger and thumb together, Kane snapped with enough force to produce a few sparks.

This ignited the fuel and a trail of fire shot up which followed the fuel he doused himself in. Soon enough, his arms and upper body were on fire. He closed his eyes and relished the abrupt warmth granted to him. Kane rolled his shoulders and stretched his arms, giving a satisfied grunt as they moved more responsively. His legs were still sluggish, but they were under water. Besides, they usually weren’t the appendages he used to dispatch a monster.

With shield and fortified fist, he closed his eyes.

The pointed ears flicked in reaction to the wind and disturbances in the water around him. He concentrated on the sounds further out, noting the faint chimes that sounded almost like bells. One of them was getting louder from his back and was accompanied by a surge in water. Without giving it too much thought, he turned around and swung the shield widely.

The indication he received of a successful hit was that of a pained roar accompanied by an explosion of water. To his side, the bells rang more aggressively and he took a step back. The second creature brushed past him and just as it did, Kane swung downwards at the source. What returned was the crashing of glass and yet another pained sound from the creature.

The chimes seemed to retreat, though remained at a close enough distance. It seemed as though they were sizing him up, and so he gave them a clear image. A low guttural growl washed over the waves and he clenched his fists.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

From the control room, the battle could be described as a sort of twisted jingle. The distant roars, the sounds of bells, metal crashing upon the hides of monstrosities, all the while not being able to see a single thing. Dr. Houghton and Cade listened on with hidden trepidation. At some point, a felt eternity later, the battlefield grew quiet.

The camera feeds switched on again, revealing a blurry figure approaching from the snowy fog. A few moments later and the humanoid shape brought a collective sigh from those in the control room. As Kane got closer, the scratches on his face became more evident. The battered and hole ridden shield, decorated with purple blood. The chain knuckle having bits of it embedded into his skin.

Dr. Houghton turned the comms back on. “You alright?” She asked.

“You should see the other two.”

[lorichu]

Just Like the Ones I Used to Know

This is my part of a holiday gift exchange @gtypewriter and I did where we chose one of each other's stories and then selected a Christmas song to use as inspiration. I was "given" my characters from The Night Shift, and chose the song White Christmas. The art was a little extra on my part.

Thanks for reading, and happy holidays!

The distant melody of another Christmas song echoed from upstairs, as did his mom and uncle's actually pretty good singing, but John didn't move. It was all just noise to him at this point. A quiet, half-formed thought tried to encourage him to get up and go help them decorate the tree, but his entire body had been carved from a block of cold, numb stone. He slid lower in the booth's faded bench seat. Sitting before him was the equally inert empty cup of coffee he'd originally come down into the shop for, which had been drained and left to cool for some time.

John's blank expression stared at the door. Night had fallen hours ago, bringing with it the soft, hazy glow of a snowstorm. The heavy white powder blanketed the rest of the world, rounding out harsher edges and burying everything in indistinct obscurity. If you didn't already know what to expect under a particular snowbank, you'd have no way of finding out without more than a little digging. Over the past hour or so both the flurries and the wind had picked up. Together they created an intricate dance, swirling and spiraling in the shop's exterior floodlight like they were on stage. Each gust was a delicate maneuver, the entire storm a complex song.

And John was just as numb to that as well.

What did catch his attention was the crunch of snow under tires and the scraping of shovels against the pavement. Outwardly he didn't react to those either, but each one was another little jab at his heart. One more needle slipping under his skin to draw out another pinprick of blood. His body was covered in scars that matched the dried salty trails of slush across the doormat. They were rough and jagged, bright against the dark surface, and were pointless to clean away this time of year. All the scrubbing in the world wouldn't stop them from forming all over again the second someone else walked through the door.

Heavy eyelids slid lower as John continued to not put up a fight to stay present. The chilling cold of the darkened coffee shop had drained away all but the very last of his resolve, leaving him hollow and stained like the inside of his empty mug. Uncomfortable as it obviously was, he wanted to feel the pain. More accurately, he was desperate to feel anything. Each and every day had been a little bit worse than the last, but it was his Uncle Alec's return that finally broke the camel's back. Then and only then had he truly noticed how much of him had gone numb. When he couldn't think of a fix, John decided to lean into it. To really embrace the sensation fully, with both body and soul.

Was that the right choice? Probably not. But, then again, John didn't care. Right here in this moment, however long it had been, was the first time he remembered feeling something that wasn't completely soul crushingly empty.

He slouched lower in the booth so that his shoulder blades touched the seat. The stark emptiness of his mind roared loudly in his ears, and his eyes fluttered that much closer to closing. After spending such a long time dancing around the issue, John was tired. Maybe sleeping down here wasn't that bad of an idea. Sure, his body wouldn't be too happy about it, but it might give him something to help take the pain away.

All the flurries blustering about outside had been a simple distraction to dissociate to, but out of nowhere there was motion in the darkness itself. A sharp silhouette crawled up over the opposite side of the table, moving with more purpose than John had experienced in hours. The shape didn't get too close, but it did speak.

"John?" Lyra's voice was soft and yet somehow managed to cut through the static.

Had he been any more in control of himself John wouldn't have flinched so hard. It was like a bucket of cold water had been dumped over his head, snapping him out of the sleepless dreaming that had almost taken him. Scrambling to support himself, John managed to sit upright with a forceful push against the seat, but he still needed a minute to blink the daze out of his eyes.

That acknowledgement was enough of an invitation for Lyra, and she started to slowly inch closer. "Are you alright? You've been down here for a while, and we were... I was getting worried."

Even though his throat felt like it was filled with cobwebs, John's voice managed to find its way out. "I-I," he croaked, "I'm fine."

The shadows falling across Lyra's face couldn't cover up her frown. "Is that so?"

Her anger became a chisel that broke through the icy walls he'd built to barricade himself in. Dropping his hands into his lap, John hung his head. "No..." he sighed. His eyes slid shut, but that was only to stem the incoming flow of tears. "I just, I miss him."

Lyra didn't say a word. She closed the remaining distance between them by walking right up to the edge of the table. For a moment she considered sitting down, but instead chose to stand so she could be as close to John as possible.

A ragged breath filled and left his lungs. "There was so much else going on last year that I didn't really have time to think about it." His eyes opened slowly, seeking her out like a warm fire in the midst of a howling storm. "B-But, but now, all I can see are the empty spaces. All the places he should be, but isn't. And won't ever be, ever again."

Before John realized he'd moved it, his hand was on the table, loosely draped behind Lyra. She didn't appear to be bothered, and even leaned into the touch, making his fingers curl in closer. As a fingertip brushed over her hip, Lyra locked eyes with him. Her expression told him all he needed to know, but it wasn't until she nodded encouragingly that John dared to take things farther. He scooped her up with all the care in the world even though his hands were still trembling. Instead of just lifting her higher John held her to his chest and sunk into the seat again. Lyra relaxed against him, fully content and at ease despite being essentially trapped.

Like the warmth of smoldering embers, Lyra's love melted through another layer of John's walls. "I know Uncle Alec always comes for Christmas," he murmured, "and I'm glad he's here for Mom, but he," John's entire body shuddered, "he just makes the emptiness bigger, because my heart knows it's supposed to be the three of them up there. Laughing, singing, decorating... This is as close to complete as their group can ever be again. Nothing they, or anyone else can do will ever be able to change that."

Burying her face into his shirt, Lyra took a deep breath. "Filling in the blank spaces doesn't make them go away," she agreed. "No matter how much the substitution might check all the right boxes, it just isn't the same."

It was rare for Lyra to ever speak of her many losses, regardless of who was gone or how long it had been. As they'd grown closer together, John had come to accept that some parts of her would always be inaccessible to him. However, that slight peek behind the curtain brought a gentle touch of ease to his grief ravaged heart. These were not hollow condolences given out of obligation. Lyra was empathizing with her entire being by reaching into the darkest places that could only hurt her. She had not come down into the coffee shop to force him back upstairs, but to connect with him in a way only she knew how.

His thumb bent in to lightly rest on the top of her head. "I keep waiting for his car to pull up," John mumbled on. "Like all this time he's just been out helping someone. That happened a lot, especially this time of year." He filled his lungs and exhaled a powerful sigh. "My heart can't stop believing that eventually he's gonna open that door with a laugh and burst of snow, then tease me about w-why I'm down, down here, and n-not ups-stairs..."

Sobs filled his throat, choking out his voice. John curled inward, draping his other hand over Lyra as well and mindfully clutching her to his chest. That messy blur was back and stronger than ever, but now he had the most powerful shield in the world. Lyra was the only thing keeping him sane, his literal last line of defense against the bellowing grief boiling within him. The animalistic desire to wail his overwhelming feelings would do nothing but scream his throat raw. Any release he could get from that would just cause him more pain beyond this instance. By simply being here, in this moment with him, Lyra was protecting him from himself.

Painful as it was to keep speaking, the entire process was oddly cathartic. "A-And, then," John rasped, "then we'd go up there t-together. To Mom and Uncle Alec." As more words came out his throat felt looser. "There'd be a pot of peppermint hot cocoa on the stove, and the same old CD of Christmas music would be playing. First we'd decorate the tree, then the rest of the house, until f-finally we'd come down here to do the shop. When we finished it'd be at least midnight, but everything would look amazing."

The pressure on her hadn't been unbearable, but Lyra wasn't able to actually calm down until it lessened. "That sounds like a lot of fun. What a wonderful tradition." More of John relaxed around her, and she rolled over onto her stomach in an attempt to look him in the eye. "I can confirm that there is hot cocoa brewing, and Pam dug a really banged up CD out of the closet."

After feeling Lyra move, John repositioned so he could see her. Now that he was out of his mind and back in the present, he smelled the faint waftings of peppermint and heard the familiar crooning of a song he'd listened to every year as far back as he could remember. John watched as Lyra settled more comfortably beneath his hand, sharing what little warmth she had with him. The sight of her so perfectly at ease cast a bright but pleasant light on the corners of his mind, chasing the shadows away.

"What do you think about going up there and joining them?" John asked, his stabler voice already sounding more like his normal self.

Lyra's slight frown just barely furrowed her brow. "Are you sure? I don't mind waiting if you need more time."

Shaking his head, John freed his left hand and braced it against the booth seat to sit up. "Don't worry, I'll be alright. Hiding out down here isn't gonna do me any good. Right now, what I really need is-"

The dull crunching of a car plowing through snow turned into the parking lot. They both froze, now suddenly back in John's sorrowful musings, and they held their breath as the extra diffused illumination from headlights shut off. A door opened, then slammed shut with a snow-muted thud. Softer, dampened footsteps marched towards the shop, bringing with them a familiar face just barely visible through the window.

Gently letting Lyra off on the table, John shuffled over to open the door. "Bret?" he muttered as the bundled, snow-dusted figure scrambled inside. "Did I miss a text or something?"

Bret shook his head, sending a small squall into the air as the door was shut behind him. "Nah, your mom invited me." He started unbuttoning his jacket and took off his hat. "If you didn't know I was coming, why were you down here?"

Walking back over to Lyra, John shrugged and rubbed the tip of his nose with the back of his hand. "Just needed a little break from the festivities, you know?"

A believable enough lie, but even in the dimmed lighting Bret could see the puffy rings around John's eyes. Despite that truth staring him in the face, he'd happily take the offered bait instead. "You always did say that decorating night could get outta hand," Bret joked. "And actually, this is kinda perfect." His gaze wandered to Lyra, who stiffened up ever so slightly.

"Why's that?" John asked in her place, shifting a little closer to her out of habit.

Not realizing just how much his crypticness was hurting the situation, Bret reached into his jacket's inner pocket. "Because I have something to give Lyra."

It didn't matter that so much time had passed, hearing him say her name like that still gave Lyra chills. She almost started inching closer to John, then immediately thought better of it. 'Don't show him anything's wrong,' she reminded herself. 'Everything can be turned into a weakness. Don't give him any more to take advantage of.'

An entire lifetime of better memories wouldn't be enough to outweigh or erase everything that happened to her at the museum. Lyra knew this, and so did Bret. However, as the one who hadn't been on the receiving end of years of torture, Bret wasn't always as quick to pick up whenever he inadvertently crossed that line. She knew he was trying his best, and the effort was appreciated, but the iron-clad instincts that had kept her alive wouldn't allow even the smallest slight to pass so easily.

When Bret's hand reemerged, it was closed around something small. He looked at Lyra then John before stepping up to the table and extending his arm just as slowly. Fingers pulled away quickly to reveal the little object, and while John was left squinting to figure out what it was, Lyra gasped. "W-Wait... Is that?"

"Your bag," Bret answered. "The one you had when I found you."

Lyra clamped a hand over her mouth and wrapped her other arm across her body. "How? How do you still have this when he asked you to destroy it?"

Bret needed to stabilize his balance by bracing a hand on the table. "Because I forgot." A groveling apology was building up inside of him, but instead of caving to that, he just went on with the story. "Amos wouldn't let me throw it out in his office because that would be too suspicious, so I just put it in my pocket. There was so much else going on that I completely forgot about it until I got home. I needed to stay on Amos's good side to keep my job, so I wanted to wait for the best time to throw it away. Until I found that, I decided to just stash it in my desk drawer... where I forgot about it again."

"I can't believe you kept it," Lyra mumbled, taking a shuffled step forward. This felt so much like a trap, but she just couldn't help herself. "After all this time."

Because she was getting closer, Bret wanted to pull his hand back and move away from the table. Thanks to his momentary indecision though, it looked like he'd missed his chance. 'She's already too close,' he grumbled. 'If I move now, it'll just freak her out. Probably enough that she won't accept it.'

So he stayed rooted in place and watched as the tiny Mintran woman knelt down to reunite with her timeworn pack. Lyra delicately unhooked the latch and drew in a sharp breath when she saw the stash of her old possessions. "It's all here," she murmured. "Everything..." Distant memories of the life that was stolen from her condensed into tears that stung her eyes. A choked down sob rocked her shoulders and her fingers dug into the thick fabric as she hunched lower.

Seconds later her head snapped up. Just as quickly she tossed the bag aside and jumped to her feet. The heavy stares following her weren't enough to stop her from breaking out into a full-on sprint, and she never wavered as she raced over to Bret's hand. She wrapped her arms as far as she could around his wrist and fully leaned into the hug.

"Th-Thank you, Bret," she whimpered, smearing tears over his skin. "You don't know what this means to me."

Now utterly terrified to move, Bret tried to hold his ground. "You're, um, you're welcome." The way she was clinging to him made his mind dredge up images of her begging for her life, which was a habit he'd broken her of long ago. He could hear echoes of mournful cries ripping through her raw throat. Each one dug into him as well to leave a festering scar that would never fully heal. Over time the wound had gotten easier to ignore, but that didn't mean it had stopped hurting.

Her joy couldn't hold her fear back forever though, so Lyra broke the embrace first. She shuffled backwards to the bag, refusing to take her eyes off Bret after voluntarily getting so dangerously close. He remained just as statuesque and didn't appear to take a full breath until she'd reached down to grab the bag.

Lyra offered a timid smile. "Seriously, Bret, thank you."

"Course," he muttered through a similar grin. "Merry Christmas."

The ache that had brought John down into the shop felt like a fading memory of an old nightmare. He hadn't fully recovered, but there was a new layer of warmth wrapped around his heart like a thick blanket. That warmth was holding him together, bundling up the pieces of him into a single place where they could be protected and cared for. Love was all around him, holding the door open to let him in out of the cold dark of loneliness. It was definitely something to do this time of year, but John knew without a doubt that everyone in this house would do the same things all over again even if it was the middle of summer.

John wrapped his hand behind Lyra's back again and gave her shoulders a gentle squeeze as he looked Bret in the eye. "We were just going upstairs to join them, and since you already talked to Mom, I know she'll be expecting you too." Lyra leaned back against him, and he knew that was his cue to pick her up. He didn't need to look down to scoop her off her feet, but he still sent a quick smile and wink her way. "They've probably already done a good chunk of it by now, but I'm sure there's more left to decorate."

Perking up more into his normal self, Bret nodded. "I'm here as long as you need me."

Nothing else had to be said as they hurried through the darkened coffee shop. When they opened the door at the bottom of the stairs the music changed. Without missing a beat, Pam and Alec were already singing.

"I'm, dreaming, of a White, Christmas..."

[lorichu]

Midnight

Day 21 of BittyKimmy's prompt list 

“Oh c’mon, why not?!” Arguments between Dr. Houghton and her superior, Commanding Officer Cade were common. She at heart was a humanitarian, and he was a man of practicality and the kind that could justify the means with an end. However this was one of the few times where it spiraled out of control with volume as they butted heads, throwing everything they had at each other. “It’s midnight anyways, no one is gonna see him.”

Insults, questioning each other’s abilities at their jobs, everything was on the table. “Because it's a security risk! I’m not allowing this just so,” He faced palmed with an annoyed breath. “Just so the subject can get fresh air. I’m not risking discovery for something so trivial.”

“Trivial?!” Dr. Houghton usually was the one carrying the most volume, with not even Cade being able to trump her voice. Hers was fueled by rage and guilt and with it carried a storm in her tone. “He’s locked up in that cell for weeks at a time, alone. The only time he gets out is to risk his life for all of us. Why the hell can’t he just see the outside world when he isn't in any danger?”

“He’s doing what’s been expected of him-”

“He’s a kid for fucks sake!” She yelled, silencing the commander. “God it's a miracle he even wants to cooperate after the shit we put him through, and you can’t even allow him this one tiny request.” Before he could retort, Dr. Houghton walked out of his office and slammed the door shut. She knew disciplinary action would follow after but at this point she was too pissed off to care.

Instead, the doctor made her way down the hall to the elevator just at the end. She pressed the button and when the elevator arrived, Dr. Houghton entered. She leaned against the back wall as it began to descend into the lowest level of the Custodium. With eyes closed the doctor tapped her head against the wall with a frustrated sigh. “Fuck…” She muttered, taking in a deep breath.

For the duration of the trip, she remained this way until the doors opened. With some hesitation she stepped out to head over to the vault door which led to his cell. Taking out a red keycard and swiping it, Dr. Houghton entered the cell. Kane was sitting against the wall to the left with his eyes closed. Upon walking in, one of them opened and looked down at her, silently waiting.

“I’m sorry.” She breathed out with a sigh. “He said no.” The doctor muttered, tilting her head up expecting a glare or at the very least some disappointment. In the place of expectation was a softened look as a hand was lowered down. It wasn’t an open palm but the motion of grabbing, paused halfway in a wordless form of asked permission.

Dr. Houghton kept still, granting it silently and allowing herself to be consumed by its shadow. His gloved fingers curled around her, locking the human in a breathable but secure grip. She was pressed against his palm and lifted up. Her stomach dropped but not to the point of being nauseating, it was more like being in a fast elevator.

Moments later her surroundings changed to half of her vision containing the white walls of the cell and the other half being Kane, to being completely filled with the latter’s face. His eyes glowed red, and held slitted pupils like that of a snake, yet held no malice towards the powerless being in his hand. 

The fist opened up and transitioned into an open palm, moving to his shoulder. She wasted no time stepping off and sitting down. “I’m not mad, if that’s what you’re wondering.” Dr. Houghton gave a faint smile. He remembered to keep his voice down this time.

“I can’t imagine why.” She muttered, the smile fading as quickly as it came. 

“I didn’t think he was going to let me out anyway.” Kane replied, avoiding the urge to shrug his shoulders.

Dr. Houghton was quiet for a while before she looked towards him. “Why do you keep coming back?” She asked.

“What do you mean?” He responded with a raised brow while trying to look at her. Though given where she was, the best he could manage was getting a part of her in his peripheral vision.

“After each engagement when you kill the creature, we don’t have any way of actually making you come back to base. You could very easily run and we’d never be able to catch you.” She said, lowering her hand down to grip his shoulder as he scoffed. Even with such a small motion, it was enough to throw her off balance.

“Don’t tempt me.” He quipped.

Dr. Houghton narrowed her eyes. “Kane, I'm being serious.” She said, “You can escape this, so why don’t you?”

“Escape to what?” The answer silenced her, much as she did with the commander several minutes ago. “I can’t survive on my own, I don’t have that chemical stuff you inject me with every day. I don’t know anything about the outside world and…” She braced herself as a sigh lifted his shoulder. “This is all I have left. It’s not a lot but it's something. There’s at least you.” He gave a small smile, raising his hand to gently nudge her side. “Out there, I’ve got no one.”

His words twisted the inside of her chest in a strange way. They hurt, because of what he was left with. That was her fault. Though, what he had was still worth holding onto, and according to him, that was also on her. She considered his words, and before he could pull away his finger, Dr. Houghton reached out and grabbed his knuckle. Surprised at the motion, he froze for a moment before moving the hand back towards her.

Kane carefully laid the hand atop her, essentially acting as a blanket. Only her head was visible now and the two sat in silence. The quiet didn’t last long however as Dr. Houghton’s phone rang. “Hang on.” She grumbled, fetching her phone out of her pocket. A scowl twisted her mouth seeing who it was. Despite this, she still answered. “What?” The doctor greeted with a sharp tone.

“Ten minutes.” Cade said bluntly, with her face blanking with confusion. “I’d hurry, that’s now nine minutes and fifty nine seconds.” Dr. Houghton’s eyes widened with excitement as she hung up and tried pushing the hand off.

“What?” Kane asked with a tilted head, moving the hand away.

“Still want to go outside?” She said, softly smiling and standing up. The doctor quietly chuckled seeing his ears flick up, telling her his answer.

A hand quickly swept her off the shoulder as he stood up.

“I’d love to.”

[lorichu]

The Spice of Life

I don't usually do anything with prompt lists, or post any full chapters here, but even so, here we are! I've seen some works based off bittykimmy13's Promptober list, and decided to pick a word (Spice in this case) to write something with. If you're interested in more with these characters, you can check out their gallery over on my dA account. Enjoy, and thanks for reading!

------

The late afternoon rain storm had brought the steady flow of business into the coffee shop to a dead stop. Lyra had been out on the counter for a while now, but as the final hour dragged on, she was ready to exchange the colder, professional comfort of the coffee shop for the warmth and intimacy of their home upstairs. Though he was more immune to the disconnect between the spaces after having grown up in them, John was very much of the same mind.

Keeping his hand loosely draped around the tiny woman, John grabbed his phone and stared blanky at the time displayed on the screen. He chuckled to himself and immediately caught Lyra's eye when he looked back at her. "What do you say to one last drink before we start shutting down?"

"Oh, sure," Lyra answered automatically, "but..." She glanced off to the side and did a quick sweep of the shop. "Do you think this time I could make it for you?"

John snapped to attention and rapidly blinked his eyes. "Um, I mean, I guess...? But why would you want to?"

Now that his hand had pulled away the only source of heat warming Lyra was the blush streaking across her face. "Pam's been teaching me," she confessed. "I know how all the machines work, but I'd never tried to use them on my own, so she helped me figure it out." Lowering her gaze, the Mintran woman shuffled her feet. "It's stupid, but since I can't really do much else for you, I... I at least wanted to be able to make you a cup of coffee."

His heart a puddle on the floor, John's smile lit up the room. "How can I refuse an offer like that?" Leaning in closer to kiss the top of her head, he knelt down to look her in the eye. "Is there anything you need me to do?"

Lyra lifted her head slowly as she wrung her hands. "Just pick whatever mug you want to use and put it right there." She gestured down the counter, over to the space right in front of the towering carafes.

While John did as she asked, Lyra rushed back over to the birdhouse, maintaining her momentum as she leapt up to the entrance. She was only inside for a couple of seconds, then reappeared with her tool bag slung over her shoulder and her apron already on. Not wanting to be in her way, John backed up and watched in awed curiosity as she finished putting herself together.

'You know what you're doing,' Lyra told herself as she started marching towards the mug. 'Just like you practiced. You got this.'

As she reached the carafes, Lyra slowed to a stop by the corner of the coffee machine. It still irked her that she couldn't use the massive piece of machinery, but she and Pam had come up with a good enough alternative. Reaching into her bag for her normal climbing rope, she pulled something else out with it that John had to squint to make out. It was a small, rounded magnet, which she secured to the hook on the end. She swung the weighted end back and forth a few times before tossing it up over her head. There was a thunk as the magnet hit its mark, and after getting a running start, Lyra climbed up the side of the machine without missing a beat.

A flick of her wrist detached the hook from the magnet, and Lyra looped the rope over her shoulder as she got situated on top of the Dark Roast carafe. The mug John had chosen wasn't exactly in position under the pump, but she had a solution for that as well. Planting her feet as best she could, Lyra lowered the hooked end of the rope and began gently swinging it like a pendulum. Once its arc was big enough to reach the mug's handle she flicked the rope, twisting the hook so it caught the ceramic. All her strength was needed to pull the mug into the right spot, and with another expertly precise flick the hook came free.

Lyra dared to glance up at John, and almost immediately she wished she hadn't. His jaw was hanging slack, and his bright blue eyes were wider than she'd ever seen them. The blush creeping over her face made her heart skip a beat, and despite her strong stance she felt her knees wobble. 'Focus,' she scolded herself. 'You're not done yet.'

The carafe's pump needed nothing less than her full weight to press, and while she didn't need to jump on it, Lyra took great care while using it. Once the mug was mostly filled she took a step back, using the brief pause to catch her breath. Out of the corner of her eye she saw John start to move closer with his hand raised. Firing a sharp glare his way, Lyra quickly shook her head. He arched an eyebrow, then slowly backed up to his previous spot by the other counter. She sent him a quick smile before returning to task.

After hooking the magnet again, Lyra was back on the countertop. Her gaze had followed John and was now locked on the flavored syrups lining the counter behind him. This was always her least favorite part, but she knew she could do it. A deep breath didn't quite fully steel her nerves, and she tightened her grip on the rope. Now she was twirling the hooked end in a tight, vertical circle beside her, picking up speed with each rotation. When she eventually let it go, it flew across the chasm and latched securely onto the topmost drawer's handle, just like she'd planned.

She'd expected John's started gasp when she took a running jump off the counter, but it was honestly astonishing that he didn't try to grab her out of the air. He watched transfixed as she climbed the rope while she fell, which adjusted her trajectory at the same time. When she reached the opposite side, she was most of the way to the handle, and hadn't smacked into the drawers like John had feared. His heart was still pounding as she clambered up to the countertop. She ducked behind the syrups' shelves to grab a small, lidded vessel, then continued her ascent between the glass bottles. He was too busy watching Lyra's graceful movements to pay close enough attention to which flavors she was getting, but in the end he didn't really care. Whatever she ended up making, he was going to drink it.

Unbeknownst to either of them, someone else was in the shop. Bret had been upstairs helping Pam move some furniture and had wanted to check in with his friends to lend a hand closing up for the day. However, as he watched Lyra move about the much larger space, he'd become just as entranced.

In all the years he'd known Lyra, and all the things he'd watched her do, Bret had never seen her like this.

'Everything she used to do was out of necessity,' he mumbled. 'Every move she made was calculated just so to be precisely what she needed, and nothing more. Anything extra would just been wasting energy she needed to survive the night...' Bret's heart lurched. 'We all would've punished any kind of expression. It'd have been more fuel, something else to twist and use against her to get what we wanted.'

But right now, in this moment, the smaller woman truly looked alive. She carried her freedom in her shoulders as much as she wore it in her smile. By simply being given the opportunity to exist, she'd found a place to thrive.

Hollowness settled deep in Bret's stomach. 'It's amazing there was anything left of her when John got there,' he muttered bitterly. 'We were killing her in every other way, but he still found something to resuscitate. He's a stronger person than I could ever hope to be. They both are.'

Lyra screwed the lid back on to her container before carefully maneuvering her way down the final bottle. Gathering up her rope again, she repeated her trip back to the main counter. She set the container next to the mug and strolled away with purpose. With a mixing spoon braced against her shoulder, Lyra attached her hook onto the grating of the coffee machine's drip tray and used the rope to repel down to the small fridge built into the cabinet. Once again, she needed her entire body to open the door, creating a gap just big enough for her to slip through.

Curiosity finally got the better of John. He crouched down and opened the fridge's door the rest of the way so he could see inside. Somehow Lyra had pried the lid off the container of extra whipping cream and was now wielding a generous spoonful of it. She replaced the lid and climbed back out with the spoon carefully balanced between her arms. Instead of making her struggle through closing the fridge on her own, John pushed the door shut once her rope was clear. A silent look passed between them, but there was a glimmer of appreciation in that small pair of gray eyes.

Hefting the spoon back onto her shoulder, Lyra marched down the counter to the still steaming mug. She set the spoon down for a moment and rushed over to the containers of dry seasonings to grab the cinnamon. Its unruly size made portioning a problem, but she was able to measure out what she wanted. That went into the coffee first, then the syrups, and finally the spoonful of whipping cream. Leaving the utensil submerged, Lyra stirred the cup like it was a cauldron, looking very much the part of a tired but pleased witch. Once the ingredients had been fully mixed she removed the spoon, tapped it on the mug's rim for good measure, and backed away to present the beverage.

John had completely forgotten that she was making something for him to drink and didn't actually return to reality until she nervously cleared her throat. Rushing over he scooped the mug up in both hands and happily took a sip.

He immediately straightened up, his eyebrows rising almost clean off his face. Subtle notes of spice blended beautifully with the soft cream and sharp cranberry to create a flavor unlike anything he'd ever tasted. "Lyra, this is good. Like, really good," John chuckled. "Did you come up with this on your own?"

Long strands of her blonde hair fell into a shielding curtain as she dropped her gaze, but it couldn't fully hide her blush. "Pam helped a little, but it was mostly me."

John took a longer drink, savoring the unique taste and letting the heat spread out to warm his entire body. On its own it was phenomenal, but the fact that Lyra crafted it herself made it taste that much sweeter. Lowering the mug, he gazed longingly at the woman still doing her best to avoid looking directly at him. "We should write this down," he said in a softer voice. "I'd hate to lose it."

"Your mom already took care of that." Lyra glanced up slowly, meeting John's eye without flinching away. "I-I... If you liked it, I wanted to say that you could sell it to customers too, i-if you thought it was good enough for that..." She shuffled her feet and brought her hands together. "I know all your specialty drinks have names, so I tried my best to think of one, a-and thought that maybe "All Nighter" would work, but you can name it something better if you don't like that."

The mug landed with a heavy clunk when John set it down on the counter. His freed hands were headed straight for Lyra. "No, it's all perfect. Just like you."

Instead of welcoming his very obvious affections, Lyra loudly cleared her throat and took a deliberate step backwards. Her eyes stayed locked on his, except to dart off to her left in a subtle play to direct his attention. Following the motion, John finally realized that they weren't as alone as he'd assumed.

"O-Oh, um, Bret. Hey..." he mumbled, pulling back from Lyra as well. They tried to keep their PDA minimal to the point of nonexistent around their former museum coworker more out of convenience than anything else. It wasn't likely that Bret would ever press either of them for more details about their relationship, but that didn't mean they would willingly hand that information over either.

Called out and fully embarrassed that he'd been watching for so long, Bret shifted backwards as well and lifted a hand to rub the back of his neck. "Yeah, um, hi. I'd finished helping your mom, so I came back to see if you wanted any help t-too." He inched along the wall slowly until he reached the corner. "I, um, could start on the bathroom..." Without needing to look behind him, Bret opened the door and ducked inside without a word.

John's hand was already mostly around Lyra milliseconds after they were alone again. Fingers curled to delicately support her weight as she was lifted off her feet. Waiting for her was a pair of blue eyes as deep as the ocean and twice as beautiful. They beheld her so tenderly as John leaned in to kiss her.

[lorichu]

De Novo

The last chapter of Juno and Stanley's story... Though this won't be the last you see of them

It was a quiet night for both Lamport city and the Bridge Emporium. Most had gone home and it just wasn’t one of those nights for the bar, with only a sprinkle of regulars having dropped by for a quick drink. The bartender didn’t mind however, as a small band had still shown up to play. The slow moving jazz and quiet atmosphere was an acceptable alternative to a weekend rush.

The jingle of a bell alerted him to a new customer as the door opened, and he turned his attention towards him. The bartender finished cleaning off a glass and set it down, leaning against the counter with his usual charming smile. “Hey, welcome.” He said, watching as the sharply dressed man sat down right in front of him. “Can I get ya anything?”

The man looked up, and the bartender gave a faint curious gaze, careful not to break the smile. He’d never seen anyone with gray eyes before, and he could’ve sworn they almost… Swirled in a way. Maybe it was just a trick of the light.

“I’m not too familiar with alcohol… Could you recommend anything?” The man whispered, with the bartender giving an amused look and stepping away from the counter. He looked over the various bottles on the shelf, not quite knowing where to start.

“First time?” He asked, grabbing a curved bottle with a gold liquid and one containing soda water.

“...Something along those lines. I’m just passing through.” The man muttered as he turned around and grabbed a glass. Just before he could start making the drink, the man took the glass and slid it over to himself. The bartender gave a confused look. “I know this is a strange request but… Could you make tea?”

It was indeed a strange request given where they were, however not an impossible one. “Yeah I could do that. Let me just go to the break room.” He stepped away from the bar and headed towards the back door. “Heh, I might even make myself one.” The bartender chuckled, entering the back of the bar.

He moved down the hall and went into the break room which was essentially a small kitchen with a dining table to the side. The bartender opened the cupboard and took out a kettle and packet of tea. He placed the kettle under the nozzle of the sink and filled it, putting it on the stove once filled.

From here, he waited for the water to boil. While he did, the bartender began replaying the short interaction he just had with the man that had walked in. He felt that something was off. He knew for a fact that the man wasn’t in the best of moods, but he felt as though there was more to him. From the eyes to the request of tea, he was trying to figure the guy out.

It had taken everything Juno had, every ounce of strength and every drop of will to not teleport the bartender out into space, and wrap his arms around him. Just as he did in a previous life. Juno was confused at feeling something while wandering around the earth, something familiar. It didn’t make sense as he only started visiting the planet during the modern human era. Despite this, he couldn’t resist.

And there he was… Sort of.

He had the same curly brown hair and warm hazel eyes he’d grown to love, but there was also the well kept vest and tie. The bar and charming confidence that felt so alien. Juno of course didn’t mind that, but that look, the kind of look you gave to a stranger, a lack of recognition, that was crushing.

The entity was relieved that Stanley had gone to the back to make some tea. It gave time to think everything through.

Juno was conflicted, even though he had intended to wait until Stanley would come back, he never understood the consequences of such until now. Until the human was actually in front of his face.

He thought that the wound from losing Stanley had healed. From the time span of an entire life, Juno met others and followed Stanley’s wish. Don’t be alone.

But as Juno sat there, he realized that it never really did, at least not fully, because the scars of it fully tore open the moment he saw Stanley. He ached to do it all over again… But at the same time, Juno couldn’t bear to feel the same pain of losing him again, to have a piece of himself torn away.

He wasn’t sure what to do now, and any opportunity to make a decision was interrupted when the subject of his thoughts walked out with two mugs of tea. A bitter smile formed on his face as one of the mugs slowly slid over to him.

“Thank you.” Juno made sure to pull the act of blowing on the steaming liquid before taking a sip. He looked up to see a concerned look on Stanley’s face. “Is there a problem?”

“No it's just… Are you okay?” Stanley asked in a soft tone, awkwardly motioning at his face. “You got a little um… Uh…”

With a furrowed brow he felt his cheek, feeling a tear drop, with another dripping onto his finger. “Ah…” Juno murmured, wiping off his eyes. “Sorry.”

“Don’t be… Just never seen black tears before.” Stanley said.

Juno attempted to laugh it off, though it was half hearted. “It's a weird condition I have, along with the eyes. The doctor says it's harmless so I don’t really worry too much.” He took another sip, releasing a content sigh. The warmth was fleeting however, the tea just wasn’t the same.

“You sure you’re alright?” The bartender pressed. Stanley had seen and talked to so many people that it became second nature to him to spot the blues on anyone who had wanted to drink their feelings away. Initially he didn’t see it until they started to talk a bit more.

He was quiet for a while, idly rapping his hand around the mug of tea. “...I’m fine, it's just,” Juno looked up at Stanley. “You remind me of someone I lost a while ago.” He murmured. “I thought I got over it but apparently not.” A bitter chuckle left him as he stared back down at his drink. A particularly nasty question began to pop up in his head. Stanley died, that was for sure. Could the person in front of him even be considered Stanley?

While he was deep in thought, the human gave the courtesy of silence and an apologetic expression, even as Juno looked back at him again. Though it wasn’t a typical gaze and it certainly didn’t feel like it. Normally when someone made eye contact with him, he felt a slight jolt of surprise. This was more than that, almost like the gaze went past his eyes and into his very soul. Everything, from memories to what made him up as a person.

“Could I ask you a question?” The strange man asked Stanley. Oddly enough, the piercing gaze ended just as he spoke.

“S-Sure?” Stanley replied, lifting the mug to drink some of his tea which had finally cooled enough for him to do so.

“Alright.” Juno straightened his posture. “You have this boat, and it has a broken sail. So you replace the sail with a new one. Is it still the same boat?”

He furrowed his brow. “Yeah… It’s still the same boat.”

“Okay, but what if you replaced every single part?” Juno narrowed his eyes hearing a chuckle from the bartender. “What’s so funny?” He asked in a grumble.

“Nothin, it's just philosophy isn’t my strong suit.” Stanley replied. “I just think there’s a better question to ask, one that actually might have an answer instead of leading to some long heated debate.” He said the last portion with a bit of tease in his voice.

Both the rebuttal and tone drew a raised brow from Juno. “And that question being?”

“Does it matter?” The entity stared blankly at Stanley, taking a moment to process the question. “I mean to the person using the boat, or those on it, can they really tell? Would they even know all the parts have been replaced?”

Juno tilted his head, a faint tint of bewildered amusement in his eyes. “I thought you said philosophy isn’t your strong suit?” 

“Trust me, it's not.” Stanley lightly laughed, taking note of the faint smile that started to form on the stranger’s face. It was a vast improvement to the one he saw when the man first entered. “If it was, we’d be here for hours instead of me just asking if it even matters and ending it there.”

It was Juno’s turn to laugh. He hadn’t done that in a while. “I suppose you have a point there…” He said, eyes drifting down to his tea again. The entity was driven back to his thoughts, but not for long. Juno had realized that his question had been answered, sort of. He had enough to form a decision.

“Sir?” The word alone was enough to draw him out of his thoughts, he wasn’t used to being addressed in that way.

“S-Sorry.” Juno said with a sheepish smile. 

Making sure that Stanley wasn’t looking, he pressed his index finger against the mug and drained the liquid, absorbing it directly into his body. “If it isn’t too much trouble, could I get a refill on the tea?” The entity asked while sliding the mug over.

“Of course.” The bartender said with a sly smile. “It’s my job.” 

A small breath of a laugh left Juno as Stanley took his mug and disappeared into the bar. It left him staring at the door, a certain part of his chest aching in the absence of the human. But a part of him knew he wasn’t ready yet, and as much as it hurt, he would need to wait. 

Juno reached into his body, finding a star that was positioned near the center of his chest. He pulled it out and reached over to put it in the tip jar. The entity didn’t bother to fight off the nostalgic smile of the memento he was going to leave. Stanley was lucky that the rest of the customers had left by now. The thought drew a quiet chuckle from him.

It took only a few minutes for Stanley to get his tea ready again, however once he exited the break room, he would find the stranger gone. “Sir?” He asked, starting to look around before drawing his attention to the now glowing tip jar.

“What the hell?” Stanley said in a murmur while approaching the glass jar. There was a glowing sphere that he could’ve sworn looked like a star. It was enchanting in a way, and he wanted to touch it.

“This better not burn me.” He reached in and poked it, quickly retracting his finger. To his surprise, it was only a bit warm. With that in mind he wrapped his fingers around it and pulled out the sphere.

His eyes widened seeing the swirls of plasma and bubbling surface of what really was a blue sun. He looked around with frantic eyes to spot the stranger, only to be disappointed seeing a completely empty bar. Stanley never even got his name, and he was the most interesting person he’d ever met.

He gave a small sigh, having recalled that the man was simply passing through. That would be the last he’d ever see of him.

“In another life I suppose.”

[lorichu]

Playing with Fire 3

Previous chapter is here

Chapter 3: Orange

Word of the strange firebird that ascended towards the heavens had quickly spread far among the residents of the forest. Murmurs among the flock of the equally peculiar man who was the cause of this phenomenon had soon reached the ears of the Alpha Wile. The thought of what this could imply had become a pressing matter that trickled in the back of his mind, yet the ruler needed more evidence before any course of action could be implemented. His only option was to lie in wait, as he forwarded a task to his trusted lieutenant.

"See to it that you will bring this so-called, magician to me. I would like to have a, word with him."

Rikuo's voice was calm, yet Goro understood that it was a firm and direct order. The smaller Tengu bowed his head dutifully.

"Aye sir. Leave it to me."

Using Jac's tree hollow home as a haven, the witch and her Beta Wile friend had spent many days offering much needed provisions and support for their new guest. Goro loaned the magician some of his energy, doing so by covering him under his down much like that of a nesting mother. Other unorthodox methods were also used over time, such as skin remedies made of mud and other odd spells, which had greatly helped in speeding up the healing process. By the time of the new moon, Aiden had already recovered quite considerably. He still struggled to lift himself and was slower of pace, but he was rejuvenating faster than what would normally be possible even when putting magic into consideration.

One fateful morning, Jac walked into the magician's room with a basket of goodies in hand. She was surprised to see that Aiden was already on his feet, preparing a wizard robe that had likely been repaired by his own magic. When questioned, the magician merely replied. "I must be going soon. I don't want to burden you for too much longer."

"You're leaving? Why?"

"There's a whole wide world out there, full of people who would love to see my performances! I can't stay put for too long, for a great magician needs to spread his talents far and wide! My audience awaits--"

"You can't be serious!" Jac cuts in. "Remember what they did to you back there?"

"Yeah..." Aiden mumbled, though he perked back up right after. "But the world, Jac! Think about it! I could travel to different villages across the vast plains and beyond the ocean yonder... And I can put on one show after another after another and bedazzle the crowd with my infernal crafts! I can picture it now..."

As he spoke these words, he began to immerse himself in the whimsy of his thoughts, as if he was proudly standing on stage with thousands of people seated around him. The various moments of his tricks had bled out into reality, as he waved his hands and spun around in a sort of trance. He was humming a little tune to top it off. To this display, Jac could only shake her head.

"You expect things will be different? If you ask me, I don't think it's worth the risk of dodging the human enforcers at every corner! You could wind up seriously hurt again! Or..."

"Relax, I've survived this long!" Aiden said as he continued his dance. "I'll be a-okay! Don't swea--"

Suddenly the magician involuntary swung his foot forward, which snagged on his cape and caused him to nearly tumble. Had it not been for the armrest he had clung onto he would have fallen face flat on the wooden floor. Frazzled and a bit confuddled, Aiden was pulled up by Jac as she began to walk him to the very bed he dreaded ever going back to.

"You certainly don't look like you're in any shape to be traveling far yet!" Jac remarked. "C'mon now, your body still needs rest! I don't think it'll hurt to stay for little bit longer."

Aiden grew crestfallen, though he was good at hiding it from his friend. The magician was rather frustrated at himself, for deep down he sorely wished to be free of the doldrums that came with staying in the same room for the past half month or so. He could have sworn that he had healed so much faster in the past. He turned his head towards the hollow window and sighed. He wanted more than anything at this moment to soak in a little sunshine, at the very least.

"I won't leave yet, but... if I may be honest? A change of scenery would be nice..." Aiden finally said. "Will it be alright if I stepped out for a bit of fresh air at least?"

"If your body is up to the task, then I don't see why not. We can go about this one step at a time." Jac gave it some thought, before her eyes lifted up wide. "Oh! And when you're feeling better, I could give you a tour of the entire forest if you'd like! There are landmarks and all sorts of places we could visit! Like the Umbra Falls. Solemn Peak has a lovely view in the springtime. Or how about--"

Aiden could only give out a sigh in response. The magician could tell that Jac perked right up when the prospect of showing him around as addressed. She was already treating him like a formal citizen of the forest, despite not knowing if the other residents would take kindly to him, not that he planned to stay long enough to find out. It really seemed like she was enthusiastic over wanting him to stay for more than just the safety reason that was given. It didn't surprise him if the monotony had gotten to her too.

The fresh forest air greeted them when they walked out of the tree hollow door, and the magician basked in the soft rays that tried their best to penetrate through the thick groves above. Aiden was carefully taking his time, with Jac staying one step behind him to ensure no stumbles would be repeated on the path. Despite this they did manage to walk a good ways through the wood, with Aiden's stride steadily growing stronger with every step. Indeed, this was just what he needed.

As they trekked, they continued to talk about a multitude of little things, from magic to nature, and of life itself. Their chatter was the one bright spot that got Aiden through the turbulence of the last few days, one that he greatly appreciated. Soon the topic of socializing came about, which gave the magician the chance to prove if his hunches were correct.

"Do you miss it? Being able to... connect with people, and travel anywhere you want?"

"Hell no!" Jac scoffed. "I'm done with all of that, especially after the hell I went through before I arrived here. So no thanks! This place is as close to a real life paradise as it gets! You have all the food you can eat, you never get cold or hot, it's like a dream come true!"

"But..." Aiden looked around and subtly pointed out how eerily quiet it was. Not a single chirp or sound. "...Doesn't it get lonely?"

That seemingly innocuous question caught the witch off guard. "N-no!" Jac stuttered, before she collected herself again. "I have... I have the Wiles! Goro is the nicest person I've ever met. And... um..." Aiden blinked a few times as Jac placed a hand under her chin. "Hm... A-sushi is... unreadable. I don't know him that well. Soju is, ok... Haru is an asshole. Richard is worse... yet somehow better? It's hard to explain..."

As she was struggling with that, Aiden put his hands behind his head and chuckled. "Maybe this works best for you... you can be happy here, and free. But for me? My life is out there! I am a wanderer at heart. And I have a mission I must fulfill."

"A mission?" Jac questioned.

Aiden took off his hood, revealing the messy orange hair underneath. " Truth is... I don't have animosity against humans, even after what happened. For I know that for a time, humans once embraced magic, and looked up to those of us with the gift of wielding it... The world needs a positive outlook on magic again. Because..." Aiden took a deep breath and gave out a long sigh from his nose.

"If those... fanatics keep having their way, then sooner or later, magic will cease to exist in the world! I can't imagine what our future would be like without it! The world may turn into something... cold... and, unrecognizable..."

Jac looked down on her feet and trembled at the thought herself. "That sounds horrifying... But at least we'll still have the forests! And the mountains and caves and other fae havens. So long as there are good places like this, I'm sure magic will continue to thrive!"

"If these battles keep happening, then I'm not so sure.." Aiden sighed. "That's why I took it upon myself... to be that someone who can show them the truth even with the risks involved. If I can make at least a little bit of a difference with my performances, even if I merely change the hearts of a few, then... it will still be worth it for me."

Just then, the sound of cracking bark could be heard nearby. Aiden was rattled enough to stop on his tracks, as Jac went in front of him to stand guard. Her stance lessened in a few seconds however, when a familiar giant bird came into view.

"Goro-chan!" Jac exclaimed happily.

The Beta Wile greeted Jac with open wings, though at the same time Aiden chose to keep a considerable distance. Goro's sharp eye could see the timid one clearly as the former gave a cheeky smile.

"I see that you are well enough to be moving on your own, Aiden." He said.

The sorcerer shivered. "Uh... thank you once again for saving me..." his voice grew quieter, "please, I don't need your energy anymore. I'm fine! See?"

Aiden then whipped around with his star patterned cape flowing behind him. He wobbled a bit before he quickly regained his balance, his chin held high throughout. "See? I'm getting better! You reallly don't have to roost next to me like I'm some kind of baby chicken again!"

Goro had to chuckle aloud. "There's no need for that anymore. I can assure you. You should be able to heal on your own from here on out."

"Thank the suns..." Aiden coughed. "I'll admit, that was a bit, humiliating..."

Smiles and laughter swept over everyone's faces, which made Goro even more hesitant to say his next words. He really wanted to give the magician more time, but alas, the master's order took top priority. The Tengu had to give out an abrupt ahem before making his announcement.

"Aiden, the time has come where I must inform you," Goro paused briefly before continuing, "that whenever you are able, our master Rikuo has requested to have an audience with you."

"Oh suns..." Aiden grumbled.

"What?!" Jac yelled. "Why?! This is the first I'm hearing of this!"

"Second time for me actually..." Aiden confessed.

Jac whipped her head to the side. "Seriously? Why didn't you tell me? Is this why you were so bent on leaving?"

"Well!... It's not the only reason, but it's uh.." Aiden shrugged nervously,..."it's why I'm in a hurry, heheh."

"Oh my gawd." Jac fumed. "What the hell does Richard want with him?" She beckoned for Goro to lean closer, which he complied forthwith. She then whispered rather harshly into his ear. "He can't be thinking about eating--"

"Nonono! I highly doubt that!" Goro interrupted. "I believe he just wants to talk this time."

Jac chose to showcase her frustration by folding her arms rather than to explode in a profanity ridden rant, for Aiden's sake. The latter then crept closer to the Beta Wile as he spoke with a slight quiver.

"Will he... take no for an answer? Heheh..."

Goro sighed through his nose and spoke firmly. "I'm afraid we do not have a say on that matter. So long as you remain in this forest, you will have to abide by the command of its ruler."

"To hell with that!!" Jac exclaimed.

"Well!" Aiden said in a slightly higher voice. "I... guess this means I better get a move on after all! Heheh..."

"Aiden no!" Jac exclaimed. "If we have to do this, then Richard will have to go through me first! Trust me, I can handle the guy."

"I, believe you." Aiden replied upfront, though this did nothing to calm his nerves. Jac then took one of his hands and squeezed it tight.

"Don't worry, I'll make sure to not let him lay a single claw on you. He'll be getting a fist full of flames if he tries!"

"...Thanks Jac..." Aiden sighed.

"A fist full of flames, you say?"

The two friends jumped at the sound of that voice, and even Goro was taken by surprise. All of a sudden a strong gust around them whipped across the field in a startling cold snap. Not even a few seconds would pass before their entire view was covered by a massive shadow that zipped overhead. This was followed by a loud and heavy thump that rattled the forest like a small tremor, as a familiar black bird much larger than Goro stood before them with wings spread wide. Jac marched forward with a livid huff as she placed herself between the magician and the enormous king of the forest. The pupils of the monster's eyes were needle sharp, likely caused by reflection of the surrounding light, yet the sight of their menacing gleam had caused Aiden to flinch on the spot nonetheless.

"Hello Jac." The Alpha Wile crooned.

"Richard, why the hell are you here!!" Jac roared.

"First of all, stop calling me that. Second, this is my domain, and I can come and go as I please." As the Alpha spoke, his quaint smile grew ever wider. "I told Goro that I would meet up with our 'guest' if he failed to fetch him by this time."

Goro then bowed in apology, both to his master and simultaneously to Jac for not informing her sooner. The Alpha Wile then turned his attention towards the magician who feebly hid himself behind the witch.

"So this is the little fire bird." The Alpha Wile spoke with a cat like voice. "Why don't you be a good little... man and come closer?"

"Over my dead body!!" Jac intervened.

As the Alpha Wile stepped forward, Jac made sure to stand in his way. Size made no difference in her stance, for she was still effective at putting some distance between the two. The monster bird gave his most placid expression, returning Jac's frown with a warm grin. The witch was used to that look however.

"I can assure you, Jac, that I will not hurt him." The leader of the Tengu Wiles said softly. "The new arrival is not a mere human, far from that in fact. That automatically makes him, well... free from my wrath."

Jac still wasn't convinced. Meanwhile, Aiden was given enough time to take a few breaths as he slowly calmed himself to a more manageable level. It still pained him that he had to go along with whatever the Alpha had planned for him, but he had already accepted that the opportunity to sneak out of this mess had long since passed. It was best to get it done and over with, even if it meant he had to suck in as much courage as he could handle up to this point.

As Jac had done to him prior, Aiden expressed his gratitude and his willingness to stand up for himself by gently squeezing the witch's left hand.

"It's okay." He said. "I believe him... I, can handle this."

Jac continued to cautiously leer at the black feathered fiend, although her stance had mellowed somewhat. "You promise you won't do nothing. No funny business, all right?"

The Alpha Wile grew silent for a few seconds before replying. "You have my word."

Jac continued to stand on guard for a moment longer, though it was ultimately Aiden who made the first move by walking away from her cover. Whether his decision to approach the Alpha Wile was a brave or foolish one, the magician knew not. Despite how he felt, that it was now or never.

"Okay... I think I'm as ready as I'll ever be."

The Alpha's smile had spread ever wider, and made for an unsettling look.

"I knew you'd come around."

****

The interview took place at the heart of the Wile's base, deep within the tunnels where the king's nest resided. The other Wiles of the flock had all gathered within the shadowy corridors, ready to assist at their Alpha's beck and call. Most of them chose to distance themselves as they gazed upon the sorcerer warily, with at least one of the Beta Wiles apprehensively raising the feathers on his back in a fight or flight response. Goro was given the order to hold Jac back with a wing claw in his own corner of the tunnel; while far removed, the witch maintained a sharp eye on the much too large avian throughout the interrogation. No matter how convincing his sweet talk was, she knew Richard still had a wild side to him.

At first the master Tengu craned his neck to scan the magician front and back, which did not help to keep the latter's nervousness in control.

"What happened here?" Rikuo gasped lightly. "That is a nasty seal..."

Aiden gulped as the Alpha looked him straight in the eyes. "What shall I call you?"

"If... I may be selfish, this once... I can't give away my name so readily, sir..." the magician tried his best to suppress his trembling. "B-basic wizard rule."

"Fair enough." Rikuo replied. "'Thou are to not give out thy name, lest thou be easily manipulated through means of enchantment.' I am well aware of that law. So then, how shall I address you?"

Aiden took a moment to steel himself before he put on his stage moxie. He took in a deep breath, and within a few seconds, his eyes opened revealing a level of confidence he had not shown before. With a wave of his cape and a bow, he spoke from his chest without wavering.

"I am... known as the great pyromancer! A magician of the infernal arts! Yet I am but a humble showman, and my passion is to capture the hearts of people around the world as I bedazzle and enrich them with the wonders of my fiery spells!"

"How interesting." Was Rikuo's response. "May I ask you to share a demonstration of your talents?"

Aiden's eyes darted swiftly between his hands and the monster bird as a slight hint of fear darted over his head. But just was those feelings sought to overwhelm him, the magician took another deep breath and used this momentum to do as he was told. A smoke-less fireball then magically appeared that hovered just above the sorcerer's index finger. He flung it in the air as he gracefully maneuvered it to dance between his arms like that of a will-o-the-wisp, all the while the Alpha Wile remained silent as he carefully took in the wondrous sight.

As I suspected... a master of his craft...

Throughout this conversation, alarm horns had already sounded off in Jac's head. She was familiar with Richard enough to know he was not the type to be charmed by flashy stunts, magic or otherwise. And on top of this, his speech here seemed... off.

"What are you plotting?" Jac muttered.

Goro's ear was close enough to hear her admittedly valid reaction, to which he gave out a short sigh in response. Jac raised an eyebrow to him accusingly.

"Do you know something?" The witch whispered.

Goro said nothing in the first half minute, before he finally answered. "I... believe it's time you learn that Aiden is, not what he seems."

At the same time, Aiden's fireballs had increased to ten as he began to juggle them with relative ease. This dazzling spectacle reached its climax in a few minutes time, however not in the way the magician expected. One by one the flames fizzled out, with only a single fire remaining. Aiden's head was drenched in sweat, but he still had momentum to take a bow as proper.

"I could show more," said the magician, as he briefly gasped for air, "but I still need more time to recover it seems, heheh.."

Rikuo looked upon the pyromancer with calculating eyes before he gave out a slightly unnerving smirk.

"Perhaps I can help you with that." He replied cryptically.

At his master's call, Souji swooped down to present a wooden stick before returning to the shadows as swiftly as he arrived. Rikuo took it by the wing claw and brought it up close to Aiden's face.

"Tell me now, does this look familiar?"

Aiden tilted his head in confusion as he gazed at the staff of burned wood, but after a moment his eyelids shot up wide. The sorcerer then took the last fireball above his fingertip and carefully placed it on top, which instantly caused that part of the stick to bloom into life like a small, fiery flower. Warm and delicate, and oddly familiar.

"What is this...?" Aiden gasped. "Normally my fire should engulf it completely..."

Rikuo smiled. "Indeed. Would it surprise you that a human came with this torch in hand? Such dubious circumstances really. It was as if fate had gifted me with the acquisition of such a profound magical artifact. One that actually holds the key..."

The master Tengu then closed in until his head was just beside the magician's body. His whispers were as soft as rain, yet as dark as twilight.

"...to your awakening."

The very essence of these words had caused the temperature in Aiden's head to drop a few degrees. His tried his damndest to speak as his heartbeat intensified, but not a single sound would escape the magician's mouth. This gave the Alpha ample opportunity to snake talk.

"There's no sense in hiding it anymore... The might of your internal flame, the power of what it chooses to burn... indeed you are more than just a mere magician." The feathered fiend slowly coiled his neck to surround the trembling sorcerer as he continued. "Tell me, great 'pyromancer', do you recall spreading your wings and souring to the highest of heights? Does your fiery soul wish to burn even brighter than the nearest star?"

The sorcerer's mouth grew slightly agape before it slackened wide, as a new sense of dread unlike any prior to this meeting enveloped him like a sudden storm.

"You know these binds were made to do more than just limit your true potential." The Wile whispered. "There is a reason why you are not healing as quickly as you would be normally... That is why I want to help you. I only ask..." he said as he placed a wing claw under Aiden's chin, "that you give your name, and your full devotion to me. Temporarily, or longer if you so choose. Indeed you could become a valuable member of the flock. Though I grant that choice to be yours."

These words shook the foundation of Aiden's very core, so much so that he nearly collapsed on the spot. Sensing her friend's anguish, Jac shot up from her position.

"What the hell did you say to him?!" she yelled. "Give him some space! He's suffocating!!"

Jac rushed to be by Aiden's side as Richard, surprisingly, did as he was told. The magician allowed the passage of time to recuperate and was thankful that the folks around him gave him the space to do so. There was a lot to unpack in the Alpha's words as they continued to echo in the back of his mind even as he had come to. At this time however, the sorcerer was much more concerned about how Jac took the news, as he sensed that she was behind him even before he looked back. Soon the magician slowly stood up and turned to meet the witch's face with a solemn smile. There was a sense of guilt in his expression, as if he felt like he had betrayed her in some way.

"I... guess you know now." He uttered. "I... I'm sorry... for not saying anything sooner..."

Jac just shook her head with a smile on her face, which brightened up Aiden's mood more than he realized.

"I don't really care about that." She said calmly. "Whether you're a Wile or human doesn't make any difference to me. I'm sure there was a good reason for it, so I won't judge."

"Truth is," Aiden sighed. "I've always known that I was a Wile... But, I barely remember anything of it. My life as I am now is pretty much all I'm used to..." He looked down on the dirt below and began to kick his heel in stimulation, which helped him gain more energy to get his words across. "This was a lot to process... Never in my wildest dreams would I... have guessed I was avian like you guys... On one hand I'm... curious about that. To be able to fly... and to travel great distances in a short span of time? That sounds like it could be the experience of a lifetime.. And yet..."

Aiden dropped to his knees and began to fold onto himself once more, though not as tightly. "What if I change? I could become dangerous, especially to humans, and that's... counterintuitive to everything I stand for... How am I to show the world that magic is meant to be beneficial when I become the very thing that people fear?"

"It's lamentable how badly the humans have bewitched you." The Alpha Wile mumbled.

"Shut it, Richard!" Jac exclaimed to the bird, before returning to Aiden with a softer glance. She took a moment to come up with the right words, before she spoke softly. "Goro has enlightened me to a lot of what's going on. Do you know who did it? The one who sealed you in your human form?"

"No." Aiden replied. "It must have happened before my memories were wiped."

"If my readings are correct, it remains." Rikuo announced. "Unbinding your soul will help you to regain everything you have lost. Your memories, your magic, and your full lifespan. You have more to gain than not from this."

"For once, I'm in agreement." Jac replied. She sat down on her knees next to the still humbled magician, and with the latter's permission, she held a hand to his back. "I don't think you need to worry. All the things you've said to me earlier, about your mission... I can tell that your heart was poured into those words! I believe that no matter what happens, you won't turn against humans. Even if this, seal or whatever it is, is broken... you'll still largely be your old self!"

"You think so?" Aiden asked, as his intrusive thoughts were gradually getting the better of him. "What if I snap?... Or turn ravenous! Or..."

"Easy now..." Jac gave it a brainstorm, but in the end she chose to reply to his question honestly. "I can't say for certain that you won't ever do those things. But frankly? I think you'll be fine. You're too good natured to be a monster. Besides, if Goro and most anyone here is any indication, you'll only turn feral as a last resort to protect someone. It matters not what they are, but who."

"...You think so?"

"I know so!"

A long sigh from Aiden was all that left his mouth, to which Jac responded by giving his back a rub. He in truth appreciated his friend's reassurances more than he could verbally express, and it had helped to part the clouds in his head as time went on.

Eventually Aiden stood up and addressed the Alpha without looking at his face directly.

"I... need time, if that's alright. I need to process everything... and... prepare."

The Alpha's smile was back, however small. "Very well then. I will permit a few moons time, or longer if necessary. When you are ready, you shall meet me at sundown at this very spot. That is when the unbinding ritual shall commence!"

Aiden stood with his face towards the ground for a few moments longer, for he couldn't shake the strange feeling he had whenever "unbinding" was brought up. Regardless, he chose to suppress those feelings, as he took a few deep breaths and slowly looked up to the giant with a renewed conviction.

"I guess I gotta." He finally said. "Honestly, if anything, I do look forward to soaring in the sky."

[lorichu]

Suppress

The final part for the July Prompts When the hatches above Kane closed, so did his mind. Even with the time allotted for his healing factor to do its work, a noticeable cavity of bone and flesh still remained. The substance was stubborn, its effects refusing to dissipate and continuing to eat away. In order for him to heal efficiently, other functions were shut down, their energy being siphoned into bodily repairs. One of those functions included a conscious and awake mind.

He wasn’t sure how long he was out, not even having the capacity to dream, not that he complained. It was a mixed bag of either memories that were unrecognizable or nightmares that felt a little too real. 

Eventually though, his injuries had been healed up to a point where consciousness could be allowed. A pained groan left Kane as his eyes struggled to open themselves. His vision was blurry, mostly a white color thanks to the design of the cell which was his room. After a few minutes, his pupils dilated and he was able to focus on the windows of the control room which sat adjacent from him.

Kane sat up, clutching the side of his head while heading over to see who was present. His steps were barely more coordinated than a drunkard, with each one having a slight sway. A few steps in and he was close enough to see that a meeting was occuring. Dr. Houghton, the commander, along with a few other technicians were present around an oval table.

Keep reading

[lorichu]

The final chapter for the four week prompt challenge. I had a good time with this change of pace, and might consider doing more stuff like it in the future.

Thanks for reading!

[lorichu]

Torch

Part III of IV for the July Gatekeeper story

Word count: 3,900

The blow did far more damage than what a barrage from the turret emplacements could ever hope to achieve. Kane’s extended claws, along with the added momentum from the jump left five distinct lines across the creature’s snout. Blue blood began to ooze out followed by a pained roar, though that didn’t last for long as his fingers clenched into a fist.

The resulting punch produced a shockwave which battered and broke the waves around them as the two titans clashed in the sea just a mile away from the port.

He drew back his fist again, putting every ounce of strength in it before sending it forward. However it didn’t make its mark, colliding into the beast’s palm which blocked its face. “Shit.” Kane muttered as he was shoved back. While he stumbled to get his footing, the creature charged forward with surprising speed.

The flat top of its head slammed into his chest and completely knocked the air out of him as he was tossed backwards.

Keep reading

[lorichu]

Week three of our July prompt challenge. This week's word was: Torch.

Thanks for reading!

[lorichu]

Orange

Part II of IV for the Gatekeeper story for July

The siren was repaired, however, the machine was only a small part of what was to come. The evacuation usually came about an hour before the portal storms formed and the target came through. However, given the anomalous occurrence of one showing out of the blue, they were now behind schedule.

Commander Cade now had to deal with this new development, ascending from the bottom of the facility to the relative top to where the control room was. Given its importance to operations within and outside the facility, the elevator took him directly to it.

Upon the doors opening he was greeted by the familiar sight of hurried activity and busy ambience. Several white coat scientists milled around frantically, delivering reports and checking in on sensors while the techs typed furiously at their stations, maintaining the key systems necessary for the upcoming operation. The place looked like the old mission control rooms for manned missions to space, though this particular one held a much bigger responsibility.

Keep reading

[lorichu]

Playing With Fire 2

My continuation of a story I posted last week where I incorporate words from a prompt list @lorichu and @gtypewriter made.

Previous chapter is here!

Tagging @captain-clandestiny and @cockatrice-writers-guild

Chapter 2: Cords

With a snap, a small flame appeared above the sorcerer's fingertip, followed by another, as the fiery spectacle increased to one for every digit. He then proceeded to juggle them seamlessly, and by some strange circumstance it neither burned nor caused pain. The audience was captivated, and upon hearing their gasps, the magician decided it was time to showcase one of his finest acts. He began his incantation as the fires grew larger and more vibrant with every word.

"Suns of gehenna, bright as gold, I beseech thee to bring forth the wonders of the elements! Like the stars that guides travelers or the nearest sun, let there be known the true beauty of its internal flame!"

After a wave of his arms, the fireballs instantly erupted into a dazzling display of brilliant colors, as each fizzled out in a sea of orange, reds, purples and blues. The crowd watched in awe and astonishment as the blaze devolved into stardust that had begun to drift softly outside the stage. Loud cheers followed which prompted the magician to pause for a brief second to catch their eyes. He took notice of one child who had caught a stardust harmlessly in his palm. The look of wonder in their eyes.... The magician couldn't help but put a smile on his face, for this aided in giving him even more energy to charge up his spells.

As the show continued with even more stunning performances, the number of people gathered tenfold around the makeshift stage. Talk of the show had spread across the village, which brought with it the attention of men who slowly crept into the crowd unawares. The magician sensed their presence mid-spell, for he caught sight of three armored individuals who had advanced to each accessible corner. The emblems on their chests were a telltale sign that these men were not here to spectate.

"I have unfortunate news to give," the magician proclaimed with a hint of a crack in his voice, "but I must make a sudden departure! It was a pleasure sharing the gift of magic to everyone here today! When the time is right, I shall return. But until then, I bid you all farewell!"

One last spell was cast, as the entire stage was bombarded with an array of colorful smoke. Within the smog the sorcerer vanished, but he was unable to go very far. Not long after the guards made their way inside the platform, as they went so far as to topple everything in their path. The sorcerer meanwhile was just beneath their feet as he gathered as many potions and essentials as he could. He winced repeatedly upon hearing the devastation upstairs, as he hid one final knapsack under his hood. His mind raced to find a way to make himself unseen, but during the chaos he failed to see the guard who had snuck up from behind.

"Say... that was a mighty fine show you put out there." The soldier spoke, with a hint of sarcasm in his tone. The magician gave out a spontaneous squeak, though he didn't turn to face him. The guard then lowered his lip and replied darkly. "These be more than just simple card tricks though. Care to explain yourself?"

"Well you see, I can assure you that everything I perform on stage is but an act! I can prove it if you just let me--"

"Tell it to the judges when we take you into trial, witch. I'm sure the they would love to hear your story." The guard was fixing to close in, when the magician reacted in turn.

"I am but a humble magician." He spoke as he pulled out something from under his sleeve. "Just give me one moment to demonstrate!"

In an instant, a flashbang was fired between them which filled the basement with irritating smoke. The royal guard took out his blade and lunged forward, but without clear vision it's edge struck one of the shelves instead. A crash was heard from above, as well as a large yell from a different guard. A faint orange glow penetrated through the thick smoke, which the men took as a signal to follow.

Just a little further...

The sorcerer managed to tumble through the window he just demolished, small ignited wood near the exit be damned. He was about to make the sprint of his life when he found himself completely surrounded by dozens of royal guards who had laid an ambush. The magician took a sharp turn in a feeble attempt to flee, but it had all come to an abrupt end when he was suddenly struck on the back of his head. The magician crashed onto the ground and was immediately apprehended, much to the shock of some of the crowd who remained. The last thing he witnessed before he whited out was the young boy he saw in the audience prior. His smile was replaced with the start of tears as the performer was about to be taken away. The magician was thoroughly disheartened, for he shed a tear himself before his mind faded into darkness.

To spark joy in the hearts of people. That was all I ever wanted..

Some time had passed before the sorcerer came to. The next thing he knew, he was in a murky, haze filled room that he assumed was the state between reality and the unconscious mind. The magician knew that he would likely slip right back into the cloudy depths of fainting before long. Nothing was discernable to him, but one thing was abundantly clear. He was restrained from the neck down by something that had inflamed his already painful wounds. His eyes were still too weak to open, but he was able to make out the voices of those who surrounded him.

"He's a witch!" An angry male voice shouted. "I say we burn him to the stake first thing tonight!"

"We will ALL be burned to ash if you do any such thing!" A woman spoke out, "And I can tell you right now that such tactics will not work against him."

That got a few gasps out of the room. The magician tried his best to open his eyes at that statement but failed to do so. For in the patchy fog of his mind, his magical senses was able to detect a soft, golden light around the person who came forward. It was faint, yet gentle like light rain. Though it was just strong enough for the sorcerer to discern a silhouette from their external glow. They appeared to be a young woman, perhaps, who wore a robe that obscured her face. Another magic wielder... one that he was surprised to learn was treated far differently from the governing body.

"The high priestess.." The other voice, likely that of a guard, spoke. "What do you know of this foul person?"

"I know that the standard execution methods will not work on him. He will come back alive none worse for wear. But devastation unlike any we've ever seen will come to us all! If you even attempt to do more than what was done here!"

"But then, if we can't burn him alive, what can we do? We can't just let this heathen run free! He'll corrupt the others with uncleanliness! He'll--"

"Send him to the edge of the dark forest." The priestess announced. "He will die to the hands of the foul spirits who dwell there. There shall no blood be stained by the hands of our people. Lest darkness will fall upon us all."

****

Among the treetops the songbirds chirped and fluttered, setting the stage of the strange serenity that filled the landscape at dawn. Contrary to the old legends, sunlight did seep into the crevices of the enchanted forest, yet it barely ever reached the forest floor normally. The result was a gentle cool breeze that persisted all year round. One of the many perks of living here as far as Jac was concerned.

The young witch would spend much of her free time perched high atop a thick branch near her tree hollow abode. She soaked in as much of the sun's rays as she could while she breathed deeply in a trance-like calm. As was often the case she would have a visitor, one who for whatever reason would try to conceal his presence even though he could never succeed in doing so.

"Goro-chan!" Jac exclaimed in a childlike tone. "You know I can sense you right? How come you've been staring at me for the past, I dunno, all morning?"

A voice rumbled in the darkness, smaller than usual. "I... you make it sound weird if you say it like that.. I'm just standing guard."

"I didn't hire you to be my bodyguard, you silly! Why don't you come up here and sit with me?"

"Um... are you sure?"

"Yeah! I'm not going to bite!" Jac chuckled.

After some hesitation, Goro swooped up and reappeared as a young man in what appeared to be some kind of robed garment and a small black hat. Fashion from his homeland, Jac figured. He slowly eased closer to the perched woman before resting just before their shoulders touched. The Beta Wile couldn't help but give off a quaint smile, for despite his initial reaction, he cherished these little moments whenever he could.

"Care to join me to gather fruits and nuts on the east side? I heard the blueberries are in season."

"Of course!" Jac replied. "I could always add to the food stock myself. Though there's never any shortage of it."

Jac looked down and fell into silence once more. Goro tilted his head slightly but chose not to say anything, allowing her room to ponder in peace. The two continued to perch together for some time until Jac felt boredom settle in. Figuring it was time to get a move on, Goro transformed into his avian form, and with the witch securely mounted they took to the skies. They had all the time in the world, so they continued to bask in each other's company all the while.

The berry pickings were plentiful as was expected, but that wasn't the first thing Jac and Goro noticed upon arrival. Immediately, their attention shifted towards the charred grass and singed dirt nearby which had all pointed towards a struggle that carried on across a field. Goro stayed airborne as he followed the burn tracks, while Jac tapped into her senses to scan for any signs of life nearby. They soon felt it simultaneously- a magical essence, fiery, yet weak, that surrounded a human silhouette who was buried deep beneath the earth.

The Tengu Wile swooped down above the exact spot where the magic's essence was at its strongest. Jac and Goro started to claw the debris and leaf litter away, and sure enough they unveiled the mouth of a steep pit. A strange net of some kind, strung together with large cords that were as thick as bamboo stalks, acted as a barricade to keep whoever was concealed within from escaping.

The activity would stir the captive awake, and he instantly locked eyes with the dim light above. The auras emitted from the two were strong, there was no mistaking it. With as much of his strength he could muster, the magician stood up and whirled a flame into being above his index finger.

"H-hello?" Cried a voice from within. "Can anyone hear me?"

Jac and the Beta Wile whipped their heads in tandem at his voice. It was difficult to make out the man's figure through the waffle-strung ropes, but the small fireball helped Jac to discern some of his features. A hood hid all but the edges of the young man's reddish hair, and he wore a purple cloak that was adorned with the elaborate patterns of suns and stars. He was covered throughout what could be seen with mud and scrapes, and could barely stand.

"Oh thank the stars we got here in time!" Jac shouted. "We're going to get you out of there! Just hang on a little longer."

"You're not one of the guards..." The man below spoke quietly, with a sigh of relief right afterwards. "You have... an aura around you."

"Yep! I'm like you, so don't you worry!" Jac replied.

The witch then tried her best to loosen the cords, but it was strung tight and barely budged. The accompanying Wile giant then attempted to break it with his razor sharp talons, but no matter what, the net remained intact.

"What the hell?" Goro spat.

"It's no use." The magician sighed. "Those ropes are protected by some kind of weird magic. It's not easy at all to get rid of."

"What? How?" Jac exclaimed. She couldn't fathom that another magic wielder could even consider working for the human enforcers. But then again, she thought, all human-likes are fickle.

"I don't understand it myself." The sorcerer shook his head. "All I know is that the spell has to be broken a certain way. I tried using my own magic against it, but it was no use."

"Well, I suppose it wouldn't hurt to try everything we can." Goro stated.

"Couldn't have said it better myself." Jac grinned. "We'll do whatever it takes to set you free. Make no mistake!"

As the sun made it's way across the sky, the two best friends tried as many skills at their disposal to destroy the seal. Transformation spells, relocation spells, shrinking spells, slide through barrier spells... Not to mention the tried and true brute force spells, yet even Jac's dark fireballs did nothing to penetrate the thick binds. This irritated the young witch immensely, for she stomped her feet and swore obscenities at every other failed attempt. Whenever this happened, Goro tried his best to quell her with a brush of a wing against her back. It wasn't enough to completely get rid of the thunderstorms in Jac's head, but it did aid to cool her down somewhat to keep her head straight.

The monster bird had a few tricks of his own, which under usual circumstances would have been considered devastating blows. Expert swings with the katana in human form, wind cutting magic in his true form, and even a bit of blue fire magic of his own. But even the mighty giant was unable to break the barrier that was set in place.

Between their attempts, Jac would gather the harvest from the nearby bushes, which she would then lower to the worn out prisoner. The sorcerer thanked her each time for the offerings, which he devoured without hesitation. Throughout the day, this helped him to gather a little bit of his strength back, which he was even more grateful for. He figured at this point he had enough energy to pull off one spell, but he had to make sure it counted.

The magician was quietly observing each attempt, as he took mental notes of every spell that was casted. One thing that he noticed was between them all, the stronger fire spells would linger the longest. Jac's most fearsome fireballs would set the ropes ablaze for a few minutes before dissipating, while Goro's blue flames wielded similar results.

"Dark magic, Soul... and inferno..." The magician uttered. "The three harmonious pyro crafts..."

"Wha?" Jac exclaimed. "I didn't quite catch that."

"I have a theory." The sorcerer announced. He then gave his findings to the duo, before adding his suggestion. "What if we combine our strongest fire spells? We have the three harmonious flames... so with our forces united, it may just be enough to disrupt the magic flow that's powering the barrier!"

"I have no idea what that means." Jac admitted. "After everything else we've tried, how sure are you that we could pull something like that off?"

"You're looking at a master magician of the art of pyromancy! If anything, I know my fire elemental magic well! Besides, as with everything else, it wouldn't hurt to at least try."

Goro was hesitant. "Wait... if what you are saying is true, wouldn't that pose a risk not worth taking? You are but a few feet away from the entanglement. Something that powerful could cause serious injury in that range."

The magician pondered for a bit, before he raised his head. "We don't have very many options. Besides, I'll be fine. I can use a protection spell if things get a little out of control." Only one spell rung in the back of his mind. To lessen the two friend's worries, however, he chose to keep that to himself.

The witch and the Wile looked at each other in silence before coming to a unanimous decision to go along with the magician's plan. They both took a moment to charge up their power, as the auras around Jac and Goro grew to a vibrant light blue and indigo respectively. Jac was the first to make a move. She uttered a near inaudible incantation under her breath, as was usual per her signature style. The blue fireballs that emitted above her palms grew larger and more brilliant, until at last she was ready to throw.

"Stand Back!!" Jac roared as she tossed dozens of fireballs onto the ropes, setting them ablaze once more. As predicted, the flames remained as it tried its best to burn into the fibers.

"Now! It's your turn!" Jac turned to Goro.

The large avian still remained reluctant, as a mild scowl appeared on his face. There was something about this idea that unnerved him, but he couldn't quite figure out what exactly. The Beta Wile chose to quiet his thoughts by shutting his eyes, as he slowly breathed out through his nose. He then went airborne and spread his wings out wide. With a single flap, scorching hot blue flames in the shape of birds appeared before him and launched into the barrier like tiny missiles. The spell combined with Jac's resulted in a spectacular blue flame which had grown exponentially in size. This left Goro and surprisingly Jac visibly shaken, as the fire was large enough to engulf far more in its surroundings, both on the surface and beneath. Jac raced towards the pit but was held back by the wing of the Wile giant. A voice could be heard from within, which had eased some of her fears.

"I'm okay! I knew you could pull it off!" The magician said, his voice oddly intense and somewhat cocky compared to his previous meekness. "Now! The moment you've all been waiting for! It is time for the epic climax!"

The magician's eyes sharpened, before he closed them shut. He took in a breath while thinking back on that glorious night. The crowd of people cheering at the marvels he made. The sense of wonder in the eyes of the small child. He reminded himself that escaping this hole will guarantee that he will put on another show again. He imagined this to was a performance, one that was treated as if his life depended on it. It was then that his aura grew tremendously, as did the fireballs that appeared above his every fingertip. The flames above obscured his form, but his voice was loud and clear. His fires grew wild at the start of his incantation, as he spoke them with much exhilaration and delight.

"Suns of gehenna, bright as gold..."

Just then, the feathers on Goro's neck puffed up, and his eyes grew wide with sharpened slits.

"...I beseech you to bring forth your power!!" The magician continued with increasing excitement. "Like the stars that guides travelers or the nearest sun, let there be known the true beauty of its internal flame!"

The ten fireballs erupted into a sea of vibrantly colored fire beams, though unlike in his magic shows, it ignited with the intent to burn everything in its path. Goro immediately grabbed Jac and tried to get some distance between them, for his instincts screamed that something horrid was about to take place. And he was right, for at that very moment the three fires molded together and bloomed high into the sky in a pillar of flames. The inferno appeared in the shape of a bird with magnificent purple and gold colors that swirled over its burning plumes. It soared in the air like a slowly ascending arrow before it disappeared entirely from view. Perhaps the flames continued into the land of the stars, but it was impossible to know.

A few minutes later, Goro opened his wing which revealed Jac as she gradually climbed out from under his protection. She took a moment to assess the situation, only to quickly learn that the ropes had indeed been charred to ash, along with a wide range of vegetation that surrounded the hole. Yet strangely enough, no new growth was affected, but every single old and fallen leaves in its path was destroyed at least partially. By sheer miracle, or perhaps due to the strange magic that they just bore witness to, no fire remained lit.

"Master Rikuo needs to know about this..." Goro uttered, his feathers still ruffled on edge.

Jac hurried to the now open pit and jumped inside, seeing that the entire ditch was completely covered with burn scars. Goro lowered his head and carefully pulled the two occupants out by the teeth. Jac then managed to drag the unresponsive magician onto a bed of grass, his body coated entirely with soot. She evaluated his vitals anxiously before getting to work on a quick healing spell. It wasn't something she was particularly skilled at, but it was better than nothing.

Goro remained in a cautious state, for he reared back while facing the magician as if he was a cornered animal ready to retaliate. Jac noticed this and cocked an eyebrow at the giant bird, before the man by her knees began to stir.

"Ahhh... my... head..." The magician spoke weakly. He then did his best to clear his throat.

"Oh thank the stars you're alive!" Jac said, as a slight hint of relief washed over her. "You need serious help. I can try to use my healing spells but it's not my specialty so I don't know how effective or how long it'll last. If only Jillian was here, I--"

"Relax... I'll be okay..." the magician tried to speak the best he could as he sensed the witch's bubbling panic. "I'm fine with basic medic skills... I know I don't look so good, but... I promise, I'll be as good as new soon."

"I can believe that." Goro replied flatly. The sorcerer looked upon the Wile giant with slight hints of fear, though he was too weak to react. It was noticeably far less pronounced compared with other humans who had encountered a Wile for the first time- another thing Jac took mental note of. The magician then said something that completely caught her off guard.

"I'm on my own... a wanderer looking for my own place..." He was addressing Goro. He paused for a moment as he tried to catch his breath before continuing. "I'm not here to cause trouble. Please believe me. Besides... I'm weak. I'm stuck like, this... I can't even change even if I wanted to."

"What do you mean?" Jac asked. Goro meanwhile, understood completely. He still remained wary for a few moments more, until he finally released the tension he had built up with a sigh.

"That... explains a lot."

"What does?" Jac was very confused.

"Truth is, in your current state, your core stands a great chance of not lasting another moon cycle without strong magic." Goro admitted. He then lowered his feathers onto the injured man before continuing. "So I will lend you some of my power."

"That... won't be necessary..."

"You value the life you have now, don't you?" Goro cuts in. "I have plenty of energy to spare, so, don't sweat it."

The magician wanted to say something back but, he was unable to find the words. What was said touched him more than he realized, as tears began to form at the base of his eyes.

"I can't... thank you both enough for everything..."

"Any good magic wielder would have done the same." Jac replied.

The young witch figured that it was best to ask questions later after the severity of the situation had passed. For now, getting the injured to a safe, secluded place was her number one priority. Goro lowered his back as the magician was escorted onto his black feathers. During this time, the magician couldn't help but allow more teardrops to run down his face. The overwhelming joy he felt when everything had sunken in. He knew not another way to express how grateful really he was.

"I'll return the favor someday..." He spoke the best he could.

"That won't be necessary! Um..." Jac looked at him before she realized. "Come to think of it, I haven't gotten your name yet."

"I am... known as the great magician of pyromancy. A showman at heart, one who knows a bit of--"

"Not that! Your actual name! We need it to conduct our healing spells. And also," Jac continued. "I would like to know. Just cause."

"Oh.." The magician normally wasn't keen on giving out his name. But to the two who had saved his life, he was more than willing.

"I'm, Aiden... what's yours?"

[lorichu]

Here's my second week entry in our on going month long challenge. This time using the word prompt: Suppress.

Thanks for reading!

[lorichu]

Playing With Fire 1

Doing a word prompt challenge that littleLorraine over at Deviantart and @gtypewriter cooked up! This is where I mix and match the selected words to create a continuing storyline! I figured for this it'd be a great time to visit The Witch and the Raven AU again! Haven't seen these guys since The Fugitive x3 This story takes place roughly one year after that one.

content warnings: fearplay, mentions of war crimes, discussions of eating smols

Chapter one: Torch

The deepest part of the enchanted forest was no place for the most fearless of men, much less that of a humble one. But here was Reginald, who had fought his quivering nerves to ride atop an elderly horse far into the wretched canopies. Aside from his steed, he was alone. Yet he embarked on what most considered a fool's errand, with the terrifying stories that surrounded this place clear in the back of his mind.

Just as the legends proclaimed, the woods were cloaked in perpetual darkness as far as the eyes could see. He knew not if it was noonday nor midnight, not that he had time to worry for such trivialities. Had it not been for the peculiar light that flickered atop the wooden stave he carried, Reginald would have been unable to discern his own hand in front of his face, let alone his environment through the thick brush.

With the flame as his guide, the young man slowly advanced forward, careful to not make even the slightest disturbance. His efforts were for naught however, for as essential as his light source was it made him stand out like a beacon. All manner of eyes would likely draw attention to it, from woodland creatures and perhaps more frighteningly, the beings that were said to haunt these lands. And no matter how hard he tried to shake off that thought, the young man couldn't help but feel that he was being hounded by something, somewhere unseen.

A sudden burst of wind whipped up, which sent a chill that crawled up Reginald's neck. This could have been just any old cold snap, but to the young traveler the timing seemed a tad too uncanny to his liking. As an unrelenting panic seeped in, his mind began to wander into sinister places.

Why am I even here?!! Reginald screamed in his head. Why the hell did I think this was such a good idea?! What's so important that I would risk everything to come to this wicked place? No man had ever made it out of here alive- why would things be any different now!?

As he shifted through his pocket with his free hand in a turbulent fit, the brunette pulled out a cloth of a simple beige hue, embellished with art of delicate flowers. A small reminder.. one that immediately took effect to quell the storms in his head.

I... can't go back on my word. Not after I've come this far... I made a promise... even if it takes me to the ends of the world, I will--

At that exact moment the old stallion reared up on its hind legs and cried out a long and fearful bray. Reginald slid down unceremoniously onto the gravel beneath him, just as his mount had taken off to who knows where. The young man fought through his aches and pulled himself up slowly, as he desperately reached for his torch which had fallen onto the foliage. Miraculously it's flame remained in tact, and for whatever reason it seemingly refused to scorch any growth in its path. Reginald could not help but stare dumbfounded as he pulled up the fire in front of his face. A costly mistake, for he had let down his guard for a minute too long.

A loud snap of a branch was his first sign. Reginald instantly whipped his head towards the source, but failed to see the culprit before he was immediately knocked back down. Before he knew it, he felt like he was tossed afar and caught again, and his entire world began to spin. He came too in brief moments but would fall back into disorientation before long, only understanding with certainty that he could no longer feel the ground beneath his shoes. All the young traveler could do before he blacked out completely was accept that he was at the mercy of whatever had taken hold.

****

Goro swooped into the corridors of his home base, relieved to finally be able to tuck in his wings. As he waddled inside, the Beta Wile was careful to not leave a single graze on the prize he had obtained during his excursion. He would not be alone for long however, for his presence quickly caught the attention of another member of the flock. Harutaka looked down at the fellow bird's talons with a glint in his eye. He then leaned close and craned his neck around Goro's own.

"Care to share with a peer?"

Goro remained unfazed. "I don't believe our master would be pleased to learn that one of the flock has eaten from what belongs to him. The smell of human can't easily be hidden."

"They always say you were the master's pet." Harutaka grumbled.

"Would you volunteer to be gorged instead?"

That was enough to keep the other Beta Wile from saying any more on the matter. Without further delay, Goro traversed through the winding tunnels until at last he had reached the cave's very core. The heart of the Tengu Wile's homebase was massive- a luminous cavern wide enough to house a multitude of said giants. Yet only one was present, though it was difficult to tell as his form melted into the darkness that surrounded him. It was in this precise moment when the human in Goro's clutches finally stirred.

"Master Rikuo." Goro lowered his head.

"Ohhh? What's this?" Said a haunting voice that bellowed from within the shadows. "A human? How delightful!! I haven't had one in months!"

Reginald's eyelids flung open the very moment the Alpha Wile stepped into the dim light, as the it's massive stature overtook the young man's entire view. This was his greatest fear manifested, spoken in tongues as the titan with jet black wings, part bird, part man. He and his flock were responsible for the deaths of many among the strongest battalions this side of the country. And here he stood just mere feet away from the young man's minuscule body. The monster's eyes showed clear signs that he had the eagerness to strike and he desperately wanted to hurry things along.

"Wait." Goro exclaimed as he surprisingly held back the human, obscuring him slightly from the Alpha's sight. The Beta Wile then presented the torch with his wing claw, which envoked a head tilt from the much larger Wile Giant. A couple of seconds later, the Alpha puffed up his neck feathers, and his eyes narrowed to a sharper slit than he had prior.

"Where did you find this?" The Alpha spoke, his voice sent ice down the human's back.

"The human was holding it." Goro replied.

The master Wile loomed over them, which was the unspoken signal for the Beta to set the human down on the cave floor. Reginald's heart pounded relentlessly, but he was too panic-stricken to make an attempt at escape. Sensing the human's fear, the monster couldn't help but give out a smile. In turn he deliberately showed off his dreadfully sharp fangs at every opportunity, delighting at every squeak he could get out of the tiny man.

"So... You came to our forest with a magic flame that you had no right to possess. Tell me human, how did you obtain it?"

Petrified beyond reason, Reginald remained in his shivering position. Which prompted the Alpha to raise his voice.

"ANSWER ME!!!"

The human's ears rung in pain, and from his inner turmoil he finally spoke.

"A wizard gifted it to me! He said it would protect me from creatures like... like..."

"Like us?" The Alpha Wile crooned. "An unlikely story! No mere magician would be have control over something so powerful. And it would have been severely irresponsible to hand it to the likes of someone like you." The giant's head lowered ever so closer to the man's quivering body. "Did anyone ever tell you that causing trouble in these woods with such uncontrollable magic would get you killed, small one? Not that such advice would do you any good now.... What was your purpose, hm? Fame? Fortune?"

"NO!!" Reginald stammered as hard as he could. There was no way he could fight off tears at this point. "I was just passing through! I had no intention to cause any problems! Please!! You gotta believe me!!"

With that, the Alpha Wile grew silent for a few seconds, although it was merely a fluke. The monster bird then crashed his clawed hand right next to the tiny human, which caused the latter to hyperventilate ceaselessly. Years of anger seeped out like smoke from the giant's throat.

"I have been told such lies countless times! After being stabbed in the back repeatedly and losing my men to your soldiers, you suspect that I would feel differently now?!"

The Alpha calmed down after that statement, as his voice slowed to a deep, intimidating crawl. "How bold of you to believe that I could be thwarted so easily with mere trickery. Unfortunately for you..."

The monster bird's teeth were mere inches away, and he made sure his catch could feel every last breath. Rikuo whispered darkly, cracks of an animalistic rumble could be heard between each sentence. "I can't just let you leave with you knowing everything you do. An army isn't something I need to deal with later. No...." he bellowed. "I need to make sure you won't ever. Say...Another...Word..."

But just before he was ready to open his mouth to make the fatal blow, all of a sudden, the Alpha Wile was interrupted by thunderous explosions that echoed from within the tunnel walls. During his interrogation, the apex predator failed to notice the commotion that had quickly advanced towards their location. He looked up to see that Goro was readily fending off the whirlwind-like menace on his own, but she ultimately proved too much for the Beta Wile to handle.

"I can't let you in here! Master Rikuo is very busy--"

"GET OUT OF MY WAY OR ELSE!!" Shrieked a high pitched voice.

"OK!!" Goro staggered as he cleared the path.

Almost immediately after, a barrage of magical blue fireballs erupted from the entrance which continuously bombarded the Alpha Wile square on his face, neck and wings. The giant reared back and let out a horrendous shrill. Although the flames disappeared on impact and left no lasting scars, it felt like the equivalent to getting stung by a swarm of fire bugs. And the attacks were merciless enough that it forced the mighty master of the Tengu Wiles to back off into a corner. A small blur then dashed into the scene and stood in front of the still cowering human. It was clear as day that this infuriated the Alpha Wile to no end.

"Jaaaaaaac..." The bird rumbled.

The much smaller woman looked up at the mountainous fiend with a fearless and defiant grin. The sparks of blue flames still shimmered above her fingertips, just waiting to be flung again.

"You've been a bad, bad, bad, bad bird, Richard." She spoke with unwavering confidence.

"Don't call me that!" The Alpha Wile growled. "I'll have you know, that human would have burned the forest down if we hadn't intervened! It's only right that he should be punished for his deeds."

"He hasn't done anything! And you likely wouldn't have given him a fair trial!" Jac shouted. "Besides, you and I both know that you're just using that as an excuse to eat him."

The Alpha Wile then let out a bone curdling hiss, which prompted Jac to give out a loud hiss in return. Reginald in the meantime was finally able to look up at his savior, though the sight of her did not alleviate his fears at the slightest. She wore a smoldering hood and ebony colored shoulder pads which ended in a long cape that flowed in the breeze. The rest of her attire was in tatters and she showed a startling amount of skin on her legs and stomach.

"Y-y-you're a witch!!" He shouted.

"How'd you guess?" Jac hummed. Sensing the man's continued apprehension, she tutted. "You got a problem with that? Look, it's either going to be that guy or me. Take your pick."

Seeing the cards that were dealt, Reginald felt as though he needed to stick with the lesser of the two threats. Either instant death or a slow one. He'll take his chances on the latter if it meant he'd have an opportunity to get away any day.

"Thought so." Jac smirked. "I wasn't going to let you choose anyway!"

At that very moment, the witch threw a fist on the ground, which caused a five star banded circle to magically appear beneath the human's feet. Rikuo's eyes shot daggers knowingly at Jac before he charged towards Reginald like a rampaging bull. With his enormous size, the Alpha Wile would be able to reach their spot in a matter of seconds, but despite his efforts he was no match for Jac's quick recitation. Being the fastest spell caster in all the land did have its perks, even if she wasn't the best at it.

A star mark appeared on Reginald's forehead, alongside Jac's. The magic engraved flashed a bright crimson light before it disappeared beneath their skins. The monster bird screeched to a halt, his eyes red with fumes. He reared up on his hind talons, showing off his grand size in a final show of desperation. But in the end, there was nothing he could do from that point on.

"There! He's magic now!!" Jac yelled as she stuck her tongue out. "You can't do shit!!" The young witch then gave out a cackle befitting of her title.

The Wile giant lowered his head and leered at the woman, which only got her to sneer right back at him. "What are you gonna do about it, Richard?" Jac said in a sing song way. "You'd have to destroy me to get to him now."

Richard could only give out a light grumble in response, which prompted Jac to give him a pat on the nose.

"Atta boy." Jac mewed. She made sure to rub it in for a couple of minutes before the giant decided that he had enough.

Defeated, the monster bird refused to speak another word as backed up into the shadows that his feathers blended into well. Jac then turned to Goro who had witnessed it all unfold from a safe distance. His head dipped slightly into his shoulders.

"I need to take this fella to the ends of the forest." The witch said. "Care to give us a lift?"

Goro normally wouldn't think twice about heeding Jac's request, but the Beta Wile was nonetheless hesitant. With the master retreated to his roost however, he relented shortly afterwards. As the just as imposing bird lowered his body, Reginald was understandably shaking by his knees. With a little bit of magic to power up her palm, all it took was for Jac to shove the man forward to get him to land on the bed of feathers. She stepped on with practiced ease, as a magic rein appeared before her hands and wrapped around the monster bird's neck. Goro then carried them through the corridors, first on foot and then by wing. Despite his size, their flight would still be a long one that stretched for many hours. Which had given Reginald plenty of time to calm down somewhat and think about what in the world just happened.

****

The crimson mark sparked brightly as Jac put her fingertips on his scalp. The witch then clinched her hand in a tight fist, and in that instance the mark had vanished. She then let out a tired sigh and smiled.

"Okay! The pact has been removed. You're free now." She said.

"W-what??"

Reginald was outspoken by this point after the initial shock had mellowed down. "What exactly did you do to me back there?!"

"I gave you a witches contract." Jac replied plainly.

"You signed me up for a deal with the devil?!!" Reginald hollered. That got Jac a little vexed but all she could do was roll her eyes.

"First of all, I don't deal with devils. Second, that was the only way I could get you away from Richard safely. As long as we were linked that way, if you feel pain, I do too. And of course the other way around. But now that you're leaving the forest, you won't be needing it anymore."

Reginald was at a loss for words, but as the minute rolled on he was able to find them again. "S-sorry...for accusing you of... that. And uh, thank you... for saving me."

"Ehh, it ain't nothing. I knew straight away that you weren't some kind of hooligan out for blood or anything. If it's one thing I trust, it's that of a horse's mouth."

"Wait... huh?"

Soon, just as the crack of dawn had lit up the sky, they had reached a clearing with fields of grass that stretched far beyond the horizon. It was there when Reginald spotted a familiar creature, the very horse he thought he would never see again.

"He ran up to me and sought for my help." Jac explained, as she gave the steed a light pat on the chin. "I figured out right away what happened to you from there."

"He... spoke?"

"Nah! Just intuition. Though I heard witches can do that with some animals, it's beyond what I'm capable of with my current skill."

"I... see."

"Well, you're out of the woods now. Quite literally in fact." Jac chuckled. "I have to ask though, what made you come all the way to a place like this? There has to be some reason why you didn't take the long road around."

"Y-yeah.." Reginald was hesitant, but after a few gulps he fought off his nerves to pull out the cloth from his pocket.

"I... heard of an elf that goes by the name of Jillian."

Jac's eyes opened wide upon hearing that name. The traveler then continued. "I made a promise to someone that I would find and seek out her help. And rumors said that she would visit this very forest."

Jac's mood lowered. "She used to live here, many moon cycles ago. But she left suddenly, and I have no idea of her whereabouts." The witch grew silent for a moment for her old friend and tutor, before she shrugged off the unhappy thoughts the best she could. She then raised her hand on Reginald's shoulder.

"I wish you the best of luck on your journey. I hope you'll find what you are looking for soon."

"Thanks."

As Reginald walked away on horseback, he waved goodbye to Jac. Thankful to be alive, he would continue to keep her in his thoughts from that point forward. Despite this, the witch gave out one last warning before she disappeared into the covers of the trees she called home.

"Don't come back, all right? I can't promise I'll protect you twice!"

"I don't plan to!" Reginald said from afar.

[lorichu]

Chord

Doing a writing challenge with @lorichu in which four prompts were selected and a story had to be formed around them. This is part one and with characters I haven’t used in a short bit

Word Count: 4,200

A shrill series of beeps awoke a disgruntled Dr. Houghton from the couch inside her office. One of the throw pillows fell as she reoriented herself to sit instead of lay down. The noise was accompanied by the vibration of her phone, and she dug into her pant pocket to fish it out. Her brow furrowed seeing the time and who was calling.

“Hello?” Dr. Houghton muttered as she picked up and pressed the phone against her ear. “It’s rather early, the attack isn’t to come for at least a few more hours.” She stood up, wiping tired eyes while exiting her office into the hallway.

“There’s a problem with the siren.” Her commander, Cade, gruffly responded. This promptly froze the doctor in her tracks. The timing couldn’t have been any worse, as a portal storm was predicted to occur today.

Keep reading