#so have eldritch valentine being an ass! i wanted to see how little context and setup i could get away with lol so forgive any confusion

[fissions-chips]

shriek

(day 7: can't scream- eldritch au, winged jon. tw for broken bones and injury)

   Fuck. Fuck. Fuck-

   Chest heaving for breath, Jon flung himself forwards, talons only just reaching the branch before him and snagging- sharp pain shivered up the joint of each finger as he hauled himself up to press against the smooth black bark of its trunk, struggling not to slip and fall into the waiting water below. 

   Pressing one hand to his chest, Jon’s wings hung behind him, shaking with strain- surrounded on all sides by closely-woven branches and vines and lush, dizzying greenery, there was no room for full flight. He wasn’t built for the stop-and-start of fluttering from tree to tree, he was built to dive, but the closely-packed canopy above was too dense to break through, little light reaching beneath the leaves to guide his way. Legs trembling, he clung to the branch beneath him and tried to catch his breath, ears pricked for the sounds of creaking wood and rustling, smooth scales- 

   Snap. 

   The breaking of a branch, somewhere above him. 

   Shit. 

   Jon leapt from the tree just as a massive hand slammed down where he had perched just moments before, sending him hurtling forward. 

   The chase was on again. 

   He hadn’t met many other gods before- Artemis didn’t allow it. Jon wasn’t built for combat the way his soldiers or the Butlers were, strong of tooth and talon. He was… a priest. A servant. One to perch on the Hunt’s shoulder and oversee his dark dealings, his cult organized and efficient under Jon’s watchful eye- one to bend under his hand and murmur his praises, keeping his god well-fed and well-worshipped, feathers straightened (and pulled, when Artemis was in one of his moods) by clever fingers. He’d been gifted wings of his own for it, soft and warm things, but it wasn’t for Jon to swoop down on prey from above alone- it was a symbol. Artemis, the Hunter, and his trusted hunting hawk. 

    Artemis had told him to stay with the others. This was uncharted territory, the hallowed grounds of some other great creature- a vast, verdant jungle of green, growing things, the air heavy with the scent of flowers and faint, sugary smoke. It was a beautiful place, Jon had admitted, even if they had been told simply to wait and stay put while Artemis investigated the rumors of another god’s presence. The sole member of Foxworth’s coven chosen to accompany them had warned them not to touch anything but the grass beneath their feet, for fear of something toxic- and it seems he had been right. Everything here, pollen and petal and sap and stream, was poison, the danger only evident when the first of Artemis’s men to drink from the water had keeled over. 

   He was the only one to pass so peacefully- Valentine, velveteen and venomous ruler of this jungle, had found them first.

   The ground blurred below him as Jon darted left, a loud snarl of rage shaking the air behind him as the serpentine creature collided teeth-first with the trunk of a massive cypress, massive claws flailing about blindly as his body hurriedly curled around the trunk to steady himself. Shaking his head and spitting out a needle-like tooth, the god let out a chilling shriek of rage as Jon shot past him in a blur of black-barred feathers. 

   “You fucking cunt!” 

   Valentine was a massive, massive creature- bigger than Artemis, even. Built like a snake, finned and frilled, flytrap-like, his black scales had blended in perfectly with the dappled ground when he had darted down from the trees to snatch the first man from the dirt, pulling him screaming into the branches above. Not even Butler had noticed he was there. 

   I hope he’s alright.

   The cult’s finest soldier had darted into the undergrowth as soon as the other god had arrived, and Jon didn’t have time to look for him- he needed to find Artemis, warn him, beg him for help, something. Hide beneath his wings and wait for his god to drive the other away. They were not meant to be here- he could feel it, down to the tip of each feather. Everything, the swamp below him and the black-barked trees and the bones he had seen, scattered among the branches, warned him that this was an evil, evil place, far from the warm garden they had stumbled into. Butler would have to look after himself.

   A twinge of pain rattled up his ribs, lungs aching, and he hurriedly spiraled down, landing hard on a tangled mass of roots and bending over, gasping for breath. A quick glance around him revealed that, for the moment, he seemed to have lost the serpent- Jon leaned against the wood behind him and tried to catch his breath. 

   He was being driven… somewhere. Further from where they had first arrived, deeper into the jungle- Jon tilted his head back to find the canopy above a tangled mass of knotted wood and vines. There was no breaking through that- he’d break his wings trying. Pulling them tighter around him, Jon swallowed, fighting back a shiver as he continued to pant, eyes darting left and right and praying not to find the flash of teeth or scales. 

   He was being hunted. 

   Fuck.

   Crouching down, Jon peered into the swampy waters below- dark and thick with mud, they bubbled strangely, the air heavy and reeking of sulfur and fumes His face twisted into one of disgust. Nasty. He shook his head, feathers bristling at his back. Fucking nasty.

   He was trapped from above and below, then. Wincing, Jon let his wings fall behind him for a moment, careful to keep his feathers brushing only the bark below. He didn’t want to know what would happen if they became waterlogged with that muck. The muscles at his shoulders were trembling, and for a moment Jon focused on trying to stretch them out, as carefully as he could. He couldn’t afford for them to fail him, and he was already exhausted- but he couldn’t afford to stay here much longer either. Already, the shadows around him were growing longer as the sun slowly began to dip beyond the leaves. Jon could see in the dark better than most, as a servant of Artemis, but he didn’t trust himself not to crash in such closely-packed conditions- 

   “Helloooo…” 

   Jon froze, paling as a soft, lilting voice echoed among the trees- he flattened himself against the trunk behind him, eyes screwing shut as cold fear snatched the breath from his chest. 

   “Little bird… come out, come out, wherever you are…” 

   Valentine’s words dripped, hissing, sticky and saccharine as sap- the distant creak of wood and tree limbs and scales brushing bark met Jon’s ears as the serpent slowly wove himself among the branches, golden-green eyes glittering as they roamed the understory around him. “Come out and say hello, little sparrow,” he purred, forked tongue flickering from between his teeth. “I won’t bite.” 

   Jon forced one eye open, slowly looking upwards as massive, hooked claws curled around the branches far above him, Valentine slowly moving to coil himself around the tree he was hiding under. His shadow shifted over Jon, and the man found himself beginning to shiver, unable to stop himself. His feathers flattened against his back completely, one hand grabbing at the edge of his wing as Jon pressed his back to the bark and prayed that the creature didn’t look down. 

   Up close, he could make out scattered green and sundew-pink scales across the god’s back and down his spine, fins flattening down the sides of his slithering body as he lazily leaned against a nearby trunk, lifting a hand to his mouth and calling, voice still sweetened and soft. 

   “I’ll find you eventually, little winged thing- you serve Artemis, don’t you? I thought I felt another god’s presence nearby, that prowling creature… won’t you fetch him for me? I’d love to meet him…” 

   The claws above him dug deep into the trunk, chips of bark and splintered wood falling against Jon’s feathers as something sinister bled into the tone of his voice. 

   “I can’t wait to taste his feathers between my teeth. Who do you think will find him first- me, or you?” 

   Jon paled- he clapped his hands over his mouth to bite back a shriek of fear. He wants to hurt Artemis- he couldn’t, could he? Artemis had always seemed untouchable, immortal, even surrounded by his kin- but Jon knew gods could bleed. Looking up at the massive serpent, terror sank its teeth into the pit of his stomach as Jon pictured his god slashed and bitten, sinking to the ground and lying still. Artemis wasn’t immune to poison, and he wasn’t immune to venom. 

   “Do you think he’s hiding?” Valentine continued, taunting- he suddenly stooped, beginning to peer at the swampy waters below. “Is he afraid of me like you are? I can smell it- where are you? I won’t hurt you, if you come out. I just want you to fetch him. That’s not too hard, is it?” 

   Jon watched as the serpent paused for a moment, eyes narrowed as he took in a deep breath. He opened his mouth, and suddenly blew a long jet of thick, black smoke into the air- it began to fall across the swamp like fog, thick and choking and reeking of fumes.

   “Come out,” the serpent hissed- he leaned back and turned, the tree trunk shuddering against Jon’s back as he settled against it, waiting. “Or I’ll smoke you out. You can come up here and say hello, or choke... I’ll wait.”

   Jon lifted a foot and flinched as he felt it brush his skin, stinking like melting plastic- he covered his face, eyes stinging as he felt his chest seize tightly. Shaking, he held his breath and screwed his eyes shut, heart pounding. 

   He couldn’t stay here- his wings were trembling, still overworked and sore, but his head was spinning and his skin itched, the taste of fumes bathing his tongue even with his hands shielding his mouth and nose. His lungs ached for breath and the urge to cough, and Jon felt his ribs tighten in his chest, unbidden. Don’t, he begged himself, wings slowly stretching wide as his talons dug into the bark below his feet. 

   Don’t cough. Don’t scream. Just fly.

   His body failed him just as Jon pushed himself forward, wings snapping downwards to send him hurtling skyward as he choked on air, one arm covering his mouth as he frantically dodged branches and climbed higher. Half-blinded and shaking, he struggled not to crash into Valentine himself as he pulled free from the smoke.

   Valentine’s head whipped around, eyes widening as Jon darted past, just out of arm’s reach. Baring his teeth, the serpent arched his back and grinned, reaching out and beginning to race after the other, tail lashing. “There you are!” He crowed, lip curling as Jon barely dodged another trunk, gasping for breath.  

   He couldn’t see. He could hardly breathe. Jon’s feathers brushed bark and he flinched, nearly tumbling from the air entirely as he smacked into a branch and dragged past it. Shit. Turning his head, he saw a blurred shape swipe at him, Valentine’s claws barely clipping the edge of one wing, nearly slicing through his feathers as Jon let out a shriek and lashed out- the god snarled and ducked away, eyes narrowed to shield them from a slash of Jon’s talons. 

   Diving, Jon ducked beneath his outstretched arm and wheeled around, flying as fast as he could back the way he had come. His shoulders screamed with pain, and his vision refused to clear completely, shapes blurring and darkening as he fluttered a frantic, crazed path beneath the trees. Behind him, he could hear crashing and the snap of teeth, Valentine weaving among the branches with expert skill, claws leaving deep gouges in the wood as he surged forward. Jon couldn’t tell if he was gaining or falling behind, but he could see the shape of his sinister, sneered smile, amused. Not hurried. Not annoyed.

   He’s playing. This is a game- just a game. 

   Horror struck him and turned his blood cold, the irony not lost on Jon as he fled. He was being toyed with, like a cat with a mouse- like Artemis did with his prey, pinning it and rolling it beneath his talons to feel it shriek and squirm. Jon was utterly lost in this jungle. For all he knew, he was only flying further into the swamp- 

   CRACK. 

   Jon hit the tree full-force, his shoulder taking the brunt of the blow and sending a shock down his body- something caved, wing grinding against its joint as Jon dropped like a stone, flailing and clawing at the bark to try to slow his fall. He hit a branch stomach-first, all the air punched from his chest- he hooked an arm around it, only for pain to suddenly seize him completely, so sharp and blinding that he barely felt himself slip loose. 

   When Jon came to a second later, he was upside-down- his wings hung limp and uneven, stretched out above his head. The tips of his feathers were dragging in the swampy water below. Jon blinked, shuddering as a white-hot, dizzying pain spiraled up his shoulder and down his body. His vision refused to clear, but he forced himself to lift his head. 

   One leg was held tightly, wrapped in the tip of the serpent’s tail- Jon let his head fall back down, half-stunned and falling limp in fear. His body wouldn’t obey him. He stared down at the swamp below him, bubbling- a quiet whine slipped from his throat, the stench of burnt feathers nearly lost to him as he was slowly pulled up into the trees. 

   “Poor birdy,” Valentine cooed, appearing from between the branches as he caught up with the rest of his body, curling himself over a particularly thick branch and blinking down at the small, shivering man, dropping him into his open palms. “Hit your head? Ohh, your poor little wing-“ His claws curled around his feathers, Jon’s eyes widening as he realized they were blackened, flaking away between the god’s fingers. Suddenly, Valentine pulled, and Jon screamed as it was nearly pulled from the joint, broken bone grinding at the point closest to his shoulder. 

   “Oops.”

   Jon shrank away, Valentine releasing his feathers only to brush the tip of one claw against Jon’s scalp, like one would pet a bird. “I told you not to run,” he muttered, the god’s voice taking on a petulant note, dripping with shallow, false sympathy. “I didn’t want to hurt you- you’re so cute. Where’s Artemis? …Maybe he can fix you…” 

   Wincing, Jon shook his head- the sharp edge against his throat pressed deeper, blood welling beneath as the serpent’s voice turned coaxing. 

   “Come on, pet… don’t make me hurt you. Call your god- he’ll come running, right? You must be so special to have earned such a pretty little gift as these feathers…” Leaning close, his eyes narrowed as his hand was suddenly joined by the other, curling around Jon to trap him between them. The man screamed as his broken wing was forced against his back at an awkward angle, feather breaking between the god’s fingers as Valentine hissed, voice no longer quite so pleasant. 

   “Call for Artemis.”

   A whine slipped between his teeth- Jon shook his head again stubbornly, Valentine’s lip curling as his fingers squeezed tighter. He shook him slightly. “I can mend you, little one… I’ll fix your broken wing, keep you safe in my gardens while it heals…” he coaxed, scratching at Jon’s chin gently with a claw. “I’d hate for your bones to rot here- you’d look so pretty perched at my arm. Wouldn’t you like that?” 

   Trembling, Jon turned his head away, his eyes screwing shut- cold fear had caught him completely, his teeth chattering, but he forced himself to bite his tongue, even as tears dotted his eyes. 

   Valentine’s eyes narrowed, glittering cruelly- then, he sighed. “Last warning.” He muttered, brows lifting when Jon only remained as he was, turned away and shivering. Rolling his shoulders, the serpent shrugged, Jon lifted further between his hands as his shadow fell across him. 

   “Suit yourself…” 

   Jon blinked open his eyes to find Valentine looming over him, forked tongue flickering- he froze as the god’s mouth parted to reveal rows of razor-edged needle teeth and a dark, dripping mouth, the man left staring up into the serpent’s throat as smoke curled around him. For a moment, neither moved- then, he was lifted upwards, Valentine slowly beginning to bite down. Teeth sank into Jon’s back, brushed against his chest, the man flinching away with a shrill, choked scream as the serpent’s tongue brushed his face. Venom dripped to trace down his shoulders, and it burned, eating away at flesh and feather to mingle with sudden, spilt blood. 

  Jon’s vision darkened, every sense filled with needling teeth and smoke and the stench of burning feathers and blood. Overwhelmed with terror, his nerve failed him, and Valentine paused as he felt the man begin to thrash and struggle and squirm, gasping for air as he suddenly, violently screamed.

   “ARTEMIS!” 

   Jon screamed. He screamed and screamed and screamed, sobbing and begging for his god to appear until his voice broke completely- he didn’t know when the serpent pulled away, or when he was held aloft by his tattered wing, shuddering with pain. All he knew was that when he couldn’t scream anymore, he sobbed, wreathed by smoke and blinded by terror, tucked beneath the god’s hand to wait for Artemis, eventually, to arrive.