#fic: of blood & bone

[bones-of-a-rabbit]

do robots dream of electric sheep? do robots have nightmares of murders committed in their sleep?

have you slept, or are you afraid of things that in the dark creep?

[pinacoladamatata]

Our little idol thief!! We didn't get an act 2 camp "ketheric's dead" party where we got to act silly and dance so i'm taking matters into my own hands

[nat-space-obsessed]

Day 6: Immortal AU

I guess the Everlasting Trio ain't so everlasting lmao

Danny's hair is a little funky but I tried!!

I had fun drawing bones!

[dustykneed]

finished a fic! tos mckirk oneshot, rated E, but imagine the most tooth-rotting sappy shit ever. here's some fanart to go with it 🩵💛

full view here!

[fairyfortalliance]

the imagery of no health regen…… wounded skin that doesn’t heal…. torn clothes….. burns…. scorch marks….. bite marks….. blood everywhere…… unraveling bandages…… oh…….

[teal-fiend]

hard vore:

a pred catches a prey and they're like "I only want a little taste don't worry, I won't go too far you'll be fine"

and then they have a little bite and they're like mm. Have a bit more. Just to fully get the taste.

then they realise how hungry they've gotten, after waiting so long, after chasing down their meal, so they're like, "I'll just eat enough so that I'm not so hungry" but nothing that would kill the prey.

Soon they're swallowing down huge chunks, and their stomach has a few bones poking around inside it.

And by the time the pred stops again to re-evaluate, they realise that there's nothing left.

really, they didn't mean to go that far, but now the prey was completely gone. and the pred is left with a bit of mess on their face and a very full belly

[darkwolf76]

Children of Bone and Blood

A HoTD Strong OC x Criston Cole fic with more characters and pairings to come

At the head of the Blacks and the Greens were the Princess and the Queen. Between them for many years before the Dance of the Dragons, was their handmaiden and friend, Lady Deidre Strong. It is unknown what exact influence and role Lady Strong had during events leading up to and during the Dance of Dragons. With rumored connections to the Witch Queens of Harrenhal, Ser Criston Cole the Kingmaker, and black magic itself, as well as noble kin that were key combatants on both the Black and Green sides of the civil war, her loyalties, actions, and true influence over the fate of the Seven Kingdoms during this era will continue to be a debate among scholars for years to come.

Chapter 4 posted!

New arrivals take in the court of the dragons while those long dwelt there continue to play their courtly games. The gods whisper as the high lords move peices into their places for the coming fate of doom...doom...doom. Those that hear it might try to stop the march, but the drum of fate beats ever on towards doom...doom...doom.

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

[adrift-in-thyme]

Whumptober Day 28: “We might not make it to the morning; so go on and tell me now”

Read it on Ao3

- Time/Malon

- Summary: an injured Link shows up at Lon Lon Ranch

CW for blood and injury, mentions of death and broken bones

——————————

Malon’s hands never shake.

She can’t afford for them to. Sure, there are times when they are a bit unsteady from exhaustion or stress. Sure, there are things that scare her enough to make them trembling a possibility. But in her world, when things get hairy there is only action and no time for anything else.

Now is no different. At least, that’s what she keeps telling herself. Her hands don’t tremble, even as blood oozes over them. Her thoughts don’t falter. No tears fall.

But they want to. Oh, they want to. Because this time feels so very different. She has dealt with wounded animals before and even wounded people (she will never forget the time Ingo got kicked in the leg by Epona; satisfying though it may have been after the man’s behavior, setting that bone wasn’t exactly what she would call enjoyable). Never before, however, has she held the broken body of someone she cares for quite so much.

“You’re an idiot, fairy boy,” she breathes as she presses another cloth to the gash running across her friend’s middle.

“‘m your idiot, though,” he mumbles back. Even now there is characteristic mischief peeking out from behind the exhaustion and pain straining his tone.

Malon rolls her eyes.

Link has been bleeding all over her nice, clean floors and furniture for at least five minutes now. And that’s after he rode in, slumped over Epona’s back, one hand pressed to his stomach, the other clutching the horse’s reins like a lifeline.

He had come because he had nowhere else to go, he had said when she had stepped out onto the porch, eyes wide and heart in her throat. Because he could think of nowhere else that would be safe. Where he would be accepted without hesitation.

And as she had helped him down from the saddle, as he had practically collapsed onto her arms, he had apologized. Assured her he would take care of the wound himself, if only she would provide him a place to stay. As though he were a stranger in her home and not her best friend.

“Oh, shush,” she had scolded, ushering him into the house and lowering him onto the nearest chair. “I’ll take care of everything. You just sit down.”

And meekly, he had obeyed.

Now, he watches her with a slightly dazed look, as she tries to save his life.

For that is what she is doing, really. If she doesn’t get this wound to stop bleeding soon, he’ll bleed out.

As it is, she’s afraid he won’t last the night.

She worries her bottom lip and reaches behind her for the bandages lying on the table.

“Care to tell me how this happened?” The sharp bite of fear is in her tone despite her attempts to restrain it.

And really, who cares at this point, anyway? Her fairy boy is hurt, badly. She’s allowed to be a little worried.

Link drags in an unsteady breath.

“Monster fight.”

“The usual, then.” She shakes her head, sighing. “What I wanna know is what kinda monster fight was it that got you this hurt? I don’t think you’ve ever come around looking like this before.”

Link blinks, long and slow. The blue of his eyes seems unnaturally bright. Maybe because of the light, maybe because of pain. Malon thinks it’s likely both. But it almost reminds her of that little fairy that used to follow him around.

“Did you go into a dungeon or somethin’?”

Her gaze is back on her work, now, as she ties the bandages as tightly as possible. But when he speaks she can hear something almost like guilt in his voice.

“I—” A sharp hiss, fingers fisting in the fabric of his tunic. Malon murmurs an apology, trying to ignore the way the sound is like a dagger to her heart. “I was looking for…for something.”

“Lookin’ for something huh?”

She ties off the gauzy strips of fabric now practically holding the man together and takes a moment to survey her work.

That should hold.

Now, to get that bleeding firmly under control before he passes out…or worse. She grasps the bottle of potion that she had snatched from the cupboard earlier. It’s always handy, she has found, for times when the healing power of Lon Lon milk isn’t quite up to par. Times like now.

“That had better have been one important treasure. Did you get it at least?”

A small smile lifts Link’s lips. Somehow, it doesn’t make him look any more alive. He’s too pale, too ashen. There’s too much blood, coating his tunic, coating his hands and dribbling down from his mouth and nose.

But at least he has the strength to smile. Malon is willing to appreciate small miracles.

“Yeah, I got it.”

Something in the way he says it makes her slightly suspicious. But she hardly has time to figure out why. She wipes her hands on a nearby cloth, quickly so as not to take in just how stark the crimson looks against the white. Then, she uncorks the potion bottle and gets to her feet.

Link moves trembling, crimson drenched fingers toward the bottle. But she shakes her head.

“Uh-uh. You’re weak. Let me.”

With one careful hand, she tips his chin up and holds the bottle to his lips with the other. He swallows its contents obediently.

“That should help,” she says, once he’s finished. She turns away, setting the bottle back on the table. “At the very least you won’t be bleeding everywhere anymore.”

“Thanks,” he murmurs. He sounds a bit stronger already, she thinks. But maybe she’s just fooling herself to distract from the worry currently chewing a hole in her gut.

“Anytime, fairy boy.”

Malon inspects the wound one more time, reassuring herself that it’s no longer in danger of bleeding through the bandages. Thankfully, the potion already seems to be doing its job. The bandages remain a clean, cottony white.

“Looks like you’re out of the danger zone,” she says with a sigh of relief. “But you’re gonna need some rest and a new set of clothes.”

She looks over him once more, frowning. He raises an eyebrow.

“What?”

“I’m gonna have to tend to those other wounds of yours too. I swear, you look like you let the horses trample you.”

There is a distinct twinkle in his eye now. Already, he is beginning to look a little more like himself.

“Ah, it’s a…a good look then. A seasoned adventurer kind of look.”

Her lips quirk up even as she glares at him.

“No. It’s not a good look. I thought that much was implied. And it’s the kind that gives me a heart attack.”

He grins. But it quickly turns into a grimace as she sets about cleaning a cut along his neck. Gently, she tilts her head to get a better look at it.

“Stay still, now, and let me work.”

He mumbles a tired-sounding reply. His eyes are beginning to drift closed, despite his efforts to keep them open. And as she tackles each injury, he grows closer and closer toward losing his grip on consciousness completely. But the time he is cleaned up and she has managed to help him fumble into one of Talon’s spare tunics he is practically asleep.

“There,” she murmurs, setting aside the bowl of water and multiple cloths that she had used. They tinge the water pink. “Feelin a little better now?”

She knows that she is. The terror of earlier has abated somewhat, every steady breath, every beat of his heart convincing her that the danger is gone. At least, for now.

For now, her fairy boy is safe. For now, her hands don’t shake.

He hums, sleepily. His gaze is trained on the fireplace now, seemingly mesmerized by the flames dancing there. But when she drapes a blanket over him he drags his gaze up to meet hers.

“Hey, Mal.”

“Yeah?”

“I…I think I’m in love with you.” He frowns, thought obviously a difficult task at the moment. “No…know I am.”

Malon stops short, edges of the blanket still clutched in her suddenly shaky hands. A short bark of laughter escapes, a bit louder than she means it to be.

“I think you’ve lost a little bit too much blood.”

“‘m fine,” he retorts, scowling. “Malon ‘m serious. I love you.”

Shaking her head, she tucks the blanket up around his chin and presses a quick kiss to his cheek.

“Alright, fairy boy. It’s time for you to get some sleep. We can pick up this conversation in the morning.”

His scowl becomes decidedly pouty, though he has little choice but to comply. His eyes slip closed, breath beginning to even out.

By the time, Malon has cleaned up the gory mess (she never wants to see this much blood again, especially not from him), and put away her tools, he is long gone. She allows herself a moment to gaze at him, slumbering peacefully, face illuminated by the flickering flames. He is less pale now and with the blood gone he looks more human. Younger, more like himself.

Reaching out, she rubs her thumb on his cheek, a smile playing on her lips.

“I love you too, Link.”

[silvrash-797]

@milkyplier Happy birthday Mama! You ordered Legend whump; I hope this delivers!

Brothers (pt 2)

Part 1

Read on ao3

“Help is coming, just stay awake a bit longer, please don’t fall asleep!”

Wild's voice echoed faintly in his ears, coming as if from the end of a long tunnel. Each of Legend's limbs was a white-hot fire, searing body and soul. Shock threaded its way through the flames like a piranha, persistent and deadly.

The flames licked higher.

Legend shuddered, panting shallowly. He grimaced as Wild put more pressure on the gash across his stomach. The pressure shifted a rib he knew was fractured, which in turn poked a little further towards his lungs.

Blood suddenly bubbled up in his throat, cutting off his air and making him choke. Despite the fuzzy floatiness of impending shock and lack of air Legend fought through the fit of breathlessness until his airway cleared.

Legend smirked faintly at Wild's choice of words. Don’t fall asleep. There was a certain poetry to it, considering the place his thoughts had been just a moment ago. It echoed through his skull in Wild and Marin's voices.

He caught Wild's terrified gaze, the blue shining with the same intensity and worry Marin's always did. His whispered reply was aimed at them both. “Wouldn’t dream of it.”

The Slate crackled to life once more, and, despite his promise, Legend zoned out as Wind informed them of Warriors and Hyrule’s approach. Through sheer force of will he contained a flinch as Wild shouted desperately to guide their brothers over.

Hurrying footsteps approached, but his thoughts were slippery with pain and fatigue, and he found he couldn’t focus on the urgent drumming.

They took him instead to the end of the battle.

When that Darknut launched him off the cliff, terror and agony were the only things Legend was aware of. He remembered meeting Wild's eyes as he slipped below the edge.

He knew he could survive a fall from some distance – he’d done it before and taken only minimal damage – but, looking over his shoulder as he fell, he realized that this…this was much farther of a fall than onto a hidden ledge on Death Mountain, or falling through the floor in some of his dungeons.

He remembered bemoaning the fact that, for as much stuff as he had, he didn’t have anything like Wild's paraglider to help stop his fall.

Pegasus boots? Nothing to push off of, and would only make him faster anyway.

Roc's feather? Only aided him in jumping and he didn’t need more of that, thank you.

Roc's cape? Magic cape? Would almost certainly be torn from his numbing fingers and lost to the wind rushing about him.

He remembers his fingers closing around a smooth, polished shaft of wood, realizing it might be his only chance.

He remembers struggling to shift his aching body into optimal position for surviving a long fall.

He remembers activating the Cane of Byrna.

Then…nothing. Not until Wild's call brought him back to consciousness.

Hyrule and Warriors crashed to their knees beside Legend, sending tremors through the soft ground beneath his back. Legend clenched his teeth against the pain and tried to crack open one bleary eye. Everything hurt; he could almost feel Marin's fingers, tangling in his hair, calling him home. But he’d promised Wind he’d try to hold on, and what good was a hero who couldn’t keep his promise?

Warriors cursed under his breath as he took stock of Legend’s injuries, and Legend could sense Hyrule's magic fluttering frantically through the air between the heroes, desperate to heal.

“What happened?” Rulie asked, shocked.

Legend twitched his undamaged hand towards the Cane of Byrna, lying discarded a few feet from where he fell. He took one careful breath, mindful of his ribs and the attack on his airway.

“Tried t' use that t' break m' fall…” he rasped, throat thick with what he hoped was just pain. “’S’posta protec me from attacks…Must'a run outta magic…passed out…” He grimaced as the flames roaring throughout his body rose higher.

He could hardly hear his heartbeat fluttering in his ears, and black spots crowded his vision. The coppery iron tang of blood coated his mouth, at odds with the musty scent of earth and dead leaves beneath him.

Legend took another handful of small, panting breaths, curling his fingers into the dirt to ground himself. Wars was talking above him, Hyrule had taken over the wound in his abdomen, slowly sealing it with his Life spell. Wild’s fingers stroked gently though his hair, alleviating the shock and low blood pressure headache that was forming.

Someone tapped his cheek to get his attention – when had his eyes closed, he promised he’d stay awake – and an involuntary whimper eeked from his throat as he shifted to glance at…that was Wars, the Captain leaning over him with a grim look in his eye.

Wars, who was holding a belt in one hand, still tapping his cheek with the other.

Oh…yeah, that’s a good idea.

Legend groaned and coughed, gasping faintly, but pried his mouth open to accept the belt; the leather was strong and supple, but did little to dispel the taste of blood.

Legend felt hands on his shoulders and hips, pinning him in place. He shouted and clamped down on the belt as hands prodded at his ribs, stoking the fire impossibly higher. Something shifted, though, and the localized fire died as his fractured rib was realigned.

Legend took a deep breath through his nose, silently thanking the goddess for skilled hands and healing magic. Tears welled in his eyes but he refused to let them fall.

They still had more to fix, after all.

Distantly, giddily, he hoped Hyrule wasn’t using too much of his magic. Didn’t Wild mention he had fairies?

Legend contemplated spitting out the belt to preemptively tell Rulie off, but screamed and bit down again as the gentle probing fingers around his arm manipulated the bones back into their places. This time he couldn’t stop the tears from falling, or the low sob that rose in his throat.

“Sorry, sorry, hang on Lege we’re almost done…”

He didn’t know who said it, but the litany of words helped him remember his promise. Have to stay awake.

“Vet, we need to take off your boots to fix your legs. Are you ready?” Two pairs of hands gently cradled his heels, waiting for his signal.

Legend sniffled, then gritted his teeth and gave a firm – he hoped, anyway – nod.

“On three.” Warriors paused briefly as they adjusted their grip. “Ready? One…two…”

The hands moved in unison before the count of three, and Legend's mind gave up on consciousness.

-----

When Legend woke, night had fallen. He could still taste the pink tingle of fairy healing in the air around him, mixed with the golden blue-green aura of Hyrule's magic.

His eyes and limbs felt leaden, burdened by fatigue and something else he couldn’t quite place. He shifted just enough to glance down – not only his bedroll, but also Sky's sailcloth and Twilight's pelt were piled on top of him. That would explain it.

Legend looked around himself, noting with interest that he wasn’t too far from where he’d originally fallen, and that camp seemed to have sprung up around him. He wondered how long it took the rest of the Chain to make it down the cliff.

Legend closed his eyes and focused inward, feeling out his magic and previous injuries. As with all Fae healing, nothing was out of place. He was still a bit faint from blood loss, but that would replenish with time.

And something to drink. Why did Fae healing always leave him so thirsty?

Carefully, he sat up, looking around the camp for whoever was on watch. He found Wild already picking his way through the sleeping heroes.

“You’re awake!” Wild whispered happily, crouching next to Legend’s bedroll. “Can I get you anything? Water? Food?”

Legend considered briefly, then said, “Maybe some milk, if we can spare it?”

Wild’s teeth gleamed in the firelight as he grinned. “Of course! Be right back.”

Within a minute Wild had returned, a bottle of cold milk firmly in hand.

Legend accepted it gratefully, letting the creamy liquid soothe his throat and stomach. “Thank you, Wild.”

“Oh, don’t worry about it.” Wild was chatty for so late at night. “Honestly, I didn’t even have to borrow from Time this time, I already –”

“No,” Legend interrupted, “that’s not what I…” he broke off at Wild's hurt expression. “I mean, yes thank you for the milk, but also…y'know…” He cleared his throat. “for earlier.”

Wild’s mouth formed an oh in understanding, but he didn’t say anything, waiting for Legend to continue.

“I would have died if you hadn’t jumped after me. Goddesses know I was ready to. But, you kept me here and got help. So, thanks.”

Wild's smile was small and fragile, but no less blinding for the fact. “We’re family, Vet, brothers,” he said plainly. “What else was I supposed to do?”

[dunbonnets]

ELENYA & ELROND, scene from The Rings of Power season 2 episode 2

[glucosegaurdian]

Something something a smoothie God the newest chapter got me feeling the emotions

Luffy and Zoro’s interactions with everyone written so in character it made me want to bite someone it’s not even funny anymore I’m obsessed and it’s not going away help

Luffy saw a problem and decided to fix it without telling anyone how he planned to do it and Zoro just reassuring everyone that Luffy has it handled and has a plan gahhhhhhh I’m going to have a stroke

[bones-of-a-rabbit]

the ocean loves her children, you see.

There's an old story selkies tell their children. The ocean loves her children, you see: if you ask for her help, she will gift you the things you need, even if they are not what you want. So most seafolk- sirens, merkin, sea monsters, etc- were once like us: the soft and gentle selkie folk, who love the ocean and the world she gives them. But they were once in need of the ocean mother's help, and their hearts cried to her- and she answered them in kind, changing them beyond the magic their shapeshifting allowed. And so they survived.

You were lost from your family, in a strange sea, and had tried to help a struggling sailor. When they had turned on you, wanting your skin, you were shocked, scared, confused, angry, and you screamed your heartbreak so deeply that your throat went raw- and the ocean mother gave you new gifts, and you used them to tear the sailors apart.

selkies are meant to be soft, kind, the gentlest of the ocean's children. and in your moments of pain and betrayal, you had chosen to forsake those things. your rage and agony tore the water red and frothy, until there were no sailors left to rip apart.

you fell into despair, then. you tried to rip the scales from your back, tear the fins from your bones, but all for naught. then you slept. you did not want to wake. but the ocean heard the weak cries of your heart, and carried you to a new home.

you woke to another boat. more sailors. you were terrified. of them. of yourself. one spoke to you, fed you, tended your wounds. you were scared- scared of him. scared of how your heart longed to be healed by him.

later, you would love him. and, later still, you would feel whole again.

[wilbur-the-therian]

M o n k e e

I'm not sure I would consider this fanart due to a few aspects of my drawing,but he is heavily *based* off of MK from the fic Of Blood and Bones on AO3 by @emerialyncodevenice

Also,to any of the folk waiting on the character board,it's being done dw. I get distracted oh so easy-

[spinchip]

NEVER THE DARK

Chapter 15

Read on Ao3

Prologue - Chapter 1 - Chapter 2 - Chapter 3 - Chapter 4 - Chapter 5 - Chapter 6 - Chapter 7 - Chapter 8 - Chapter 9 - Chapter 10 - Chapter 11 - Chapter 12 - Chapter 13 - Chapter 14

warnings: Character death

I LOVE WHAT I DO NOT HAVE. YOU ARE SO FAR. // MY LOATHING WRESTLES WITH THE SLOW TWILIGHTS.

“She’s already seen you face, why does it matter if she knows your name?” Kai asis from where he’s still sprawled across the front of Miss Emma.

Birdy sits down heavily, his back to the group, “it does not matter." He says simply, but there’s a slump to his shoulders that telegraphs defeat. Hopelessness. Nya knows that this is bad. "All that matters is getting you to the Mountain of Madness.” 

Miss Emma floats on. Jay has stopped shocking her, collapsed on top of her bell tiredly as Kai keeps them moving. No one says anything. Over time, Miss Emma begins to droop again. When Jay gives her another shock, she just seems to lower herself quicker to the ground.

“She wants us off.” Nya realizes as the jelly's tentacles pool along the ground under them.

“We are a heavy burden for her to carry.” Birdy agrees.

They are passing over a forest- this one is a menagerie of blues, reds, and purples. The grass is a dark teal and white flowers and tall tubes protrude from the earth. Miss Emma drops low enough in a clearing that they can jump off without getting hurt and stops completely, waiting.

“Thank you.” Birdy says quietly to the animal. Kai pets her bell as a gesture of appreciation, and they all slide off her and onto the forest floor. The moment there are no more hitch-hikers on her bell, Miss Emma slowly drifts away, flying high enough to disappear into the clouds.

There's a long, tense moment as no one knows what to do next.

“We should keep moving.” Birdy says softly.

“She was telling us the truth, wasn’t she?” Kai asks bluntly.

Lloyd steps forward, “Kai-” He starts but Birdy cuts him off.

“What did she tell you?”

Kai locks eyes with Birdy and the air grows thick with tension.

It’s Jay who speaks next, “Barath told me you murdered Farley. He said that you were a warlord in your past life, and that you had committed crimes among the worst of all the people banished here.”

“Genocide.” Kai clarifies, “Destruction of land, culture, food. Untold numbers of death and destruction. Samira told me about how you’ve kept trophies of those you killed. Your mask, your knife… all belonging to the dead.”

Nya can’t help her own need to know the truth and she speaks up next, “Wox told me you were dangerous. That the respect these people have for you is based in fear and hatred.”

Cole hesitates, “And Ila said you walked into Oasis the day after you killed Farley covered in his blood.”

“All true.” Birdy doesn’t hesitate to confirm it. “You were right in the throne room, Kai. I am a monster.”

“Birdy-!” Lloyd whips around to face him, appalled, “No!”

Birdy squares his shoulders, “No, Lloyd. I must take accountability. I cannot run from this.'' He doesn’t break eye contact with Kai, “This is who I am, yes, but I have no ill will towards you all. Samira was right that I know how important you are to Ninjago too, and I will not allow my home realm to go unprotected and vulnerable without you. I belong here, in this place, but you do not. I will get you home, I swear it.'' His voice takes on an edge of desperate honesty.

They were still so far from the Mountain of Madness. If they left Birdy here and tried to find it on their own, it could be ages before they got out of here.

Lloyd looks from Birdy to the others, waiting. It hits Nya that Lloyd is waiting on them to weigh in- he wants to hear what they all have to say. It’s not like Lloyd never asks what they think on large decisions of this nature, but ever since they lost Zane Lloyd had taken the full weight of leadership and had refused to share it with the rest of the team. He was the one who made decisions. He was the one who was always alone in that choice. Maybe he was tired of being alone.

Nya doesn’t know what to think.

Cole steps forward first and Nya knows his opinion well enough that she can tune him out, “I still trust him.” But when he speaks, she looks at Cole and really listens, taking in everything he says, “He wasn’t working with Samira. He wasn’t in cahoots with Maurice. Everything he’s done has been solely for us, at the detriment of himself.” He locks eyes with Birdy, “Maybe he did some bad things… some really bad things… but he’s trying to help us. It’s all he’s been trying to do. I don’t think he’s going to lead us astray. I still want him to guide us.”

There’s a pause after Cole finishes, “Cole is right.” Nya says aloud, finding the truth in her words. Everything Cole said made sense. Birdy had been on their side from day one- “He stopped Maurice before he even knew we were the elemental masters. He had no reason to do that, but he did.”

“You can’t be serious!” Jay gapes, “Didn’t you hear him? Confirmed murderer! Evil bad guy here!! How can you just take his side?”

“I’m not on anybody's side but ours,” Nya fires back immediately, “I may not be thrilled about putting my faith in a- former- dicator, but I want what’s best for us, and getting back to Ninjago as quickly as possible is exactly that.”

Jay looks down at that, thinking.

“I can’t follow him.” Kai says sourly, crossing his arms over his chest.

Lloyd finally speaks up, “What Birdy did in the past-” He looks back at Birdy and pauses, face twisting as he hesitates on what to say next, “It wasn’t as black and white as it seems.” He settles on finally, “I trust him.”

There’s a heavy, tense silence. Lloyd meets Kai eyes, his expression imploring him to see sense.

“I don’t trust him.” Kai reiterates firmly. He closes his eyes with a grimace, “...But I do trust you. If you think this is the right call… then I do too.” he bites out begrudgingly.

“Fine.” Jay echoes, crossing his arms, “Let's go then.”

Birdy takes a moment to look around and get his bearings before he starts to walk, the others falling in line behind him. It's... awkward. He doesn’t speak much, only opening his mouth to warn them of obstacles, “Avoid the flowers,” He says, pointing to one of the numerous white flowers dotting the ground, “They tunnel into the ground. It is like stepping in a hole.”

Jay immediately steps in one and face plants, but he’s fine.

Nya start to notice that the plants they’re trekking through for this leg of the journey are strange, even for the Realm of Madness. Everything is coated in a thick waxy film and all of it is shaped like funnels or cups. Tall purple speckled plants with tube protrusions, green vase-like plants that grow as tall as her waist, huge pink and purple trees with tops like a sea anemone- and the plants she noticed that aren’t cup shaped have a sponge-like texture. Everything here is geared towards catching rain.

She looks inside one of the purple plant tubes and sees a small puddle at the very bottom, feeding into the stem. Raising her hand, she shoves at the liquid- but it doesn’t move.

“Birdy, what’s up with the water here?” She asks, pulling her hand away.

“It’s not water.” He answers stiffly, but she doesn’t think the discomfort is because of her. She’d noticed how still he’d seemed as they traveled deeper into the forest. There was something about this place that rattled him, “It’s acid.”

“ACID?” Jay squawks.

“It rains acid here,” Birdy says apologetically, “But we should be safe. It is the dry season.”

“I thought you said nothing was guaranteed in this place?”

“We need to move quickly.” He says bluntly.

As they hurry through the forest, Nya keeps an eye out for any potential dangers. That snake spider in the white forest had snuck up on them. She wasn’t keen on being surprised again. Because she’s looking towards the trees, she doesn’t notice everyone’s come to a stop until she runs into Cole.

“Oof-” She stumbles back, “Sorry- what happened? Why are we stopping?”

“I apologize.” Birdy says, emotionally flat where he’s standing in front of a large purple tree, “I was simply making sure we were on the right track.” When he starts moving again, he takes a wide step over something. As the others begin to move, Nya sees that the thing Birdy had stopped at and stepped over was a oblong dark spot on the grass. She’d seen a few of them before, scattered around the forest. She steps over it too but doesn’t ask about it. Birdy's voice had taken on that tone that comes when he’s not feeling like himself.

She blinks, surprised at herself for knowing that.

“If you don’t know where you’re going, then we should stop and take a break.” Kai says, pausing in the middle of that clearing underneath the tree's arching canopy, “We can keep going once you’ve got your head on straight.” he crosses his arms, planting himself firmly.

Birdy shakes his head, “I remember the way now. We should cover as much ground as possible today.” he says, voice toneless and disconnected. His body language is empty too, his shoulder slumped and his hands loose around his staff.

“I mean… we haven't had lunch.” Cole points out with a wry smile, “A quick snack break couldn’t hurt.”

“Do we have food? Or will we need to forage.” Nya asks.

“We have food. Cole hooked us up.” Jay says, slinging his backpack off and opening the top.

“I got Ila to make us some stuff for the road after… our talk.” He frowns, rubbing his chin, “I’m kinda surprised she did, actually… considering how they were plotting against us.”

“The food is safe. Ila is different from Samira.” He reassures them. There’s a thick pause. He hasn’t moved from the edge of the clearing, “We shouldn’t stop here.”

“Why? It’s the dry season, isn’t it?” Kai responds dryly, waving away a sandwich Jay offers him.

There’s a pause before Birdy stiffly sits down. “Alright.” He says blankly before he crosses his legs and gets into a classic meditation pose.

“You like to meditate?” Lloyd tilts his head.

“Sometimes.” Birdy doesn’t offer any additional information, and the group goes quiet as they eat and rest.

“So what’s the game plan when we get home? I mean, we don’t know anything about... Anything.” Nya turns to Lloyd.

He pauses mid-bite and frowns, “Well… we need to meet with Pix first and foremost. There’s no way she hasn’t been gathering intel in the time we’ve been gone. Mom might know something about that gauntlet and who might have gone after it, so we could go to the dig she’s on and ask her.”

“If we do that we gotta stop at home so I can get my gameboy.” Jay says immediately, “Do you know how long it’s been since I haven't played video games? I’m going through serious withdrawal here!”

Kai shoots him a withering stare that Jay is completely oblivious to.

“Well, as long as you don’t go pretending a piece of wood is a gameboy, then I’m not too worried about you.” Cole comments wryly.

“Oh, don’t tempt me. I have a whimsical imagination.”

“You like to play video games?” Birdy asks quietly.

“Yeah! There’s this game called Prime Empire, that’s the one I’m really into right now.”

“We were all really into it when it first came out.” Lloyd snickers, alluding to an inside joke Birdy’s not a part of.

“We were sucked into the game.” Cole explains even though Birdy hadn’t mentioned his confusion, “Jay saved us. It was a whole thing.”

“...You have had a lot of adventures.” there’s a pause as Birdy tries to think of what to say, “I would like to hear more about them.”

Lloyd hums, “Well, other than a few small fight here and there, and the current situation we’re in, the last big ordeal we had to take care of was The Mechanic and Fugi-doves team up.”

“The Mechanic cyborg-ed him.”

“Badly.” Nya adds darkly, “I could have done so much better.”

"Don't get any ideas." Cole ribs, nudging her playfully with his elbow.

Jay nods, “Yeah, he botched it up pretty bad. Fugi used to be a nothing villain, like, petty things. Now that he’s all…” Jay waves his hands in the approximation of gears turning, “Scary looking, he’s got actual minions.”

“I turned into the ocean.” Nya informs him, “But I got better.”

“Before that was Shintaro. We were invited by the princess for her birthday.” Lloyd continues.

“Queen Vania now. She’s cool, I think you’d like her.” Cole smiles.

“Her dad, the king, ended up being this evil warlock. His best friend was a floating skull.”

“Interesting…”

“I think you’d like him more than Vania,” Kai mutters, “Birds of a feather flock together.”

Lloyd graciously doesn’t acknowledge Kai, “Prime empire was before that, and then there was…” He stops. The air grows thick. “Let’s not talk about that one.” He murmurs.

“...What kind of game is it?”

Jay perks up, “Let me just tell you the story!” He launches immediately into an animated recap. The others interject every now and again to add their perspective and to correct Jays embellishments. “-And that’s how I lost my eye!” He says, pointing at the patch. Cole takes over after that, talking about princess Vania and the caves beneath Shintaro. The conversation devolves into one long timeline of their most recent life-or-death situations that Birdy listens to intently. He stops them with the occasional question, but otherwise is quiet while they recount it all.

So it’s a surprise when he interrupts Nya’s explanation of the Mechanics plot by leaping to his feet and taking a confrontational step towards Kai, “What are you doing with that?” He demands.

Kai jumps, surprised. He’d been leaning against the tree mindlessly checking his pockets for something to fiddle with- he looks down and realizes he’d fished out the painkiller Samira had given him and was rolling it between his fingers absently. “I’m playing with it.” He says with a raised eyebrow.

“That is not a toy.” Birdy bites out. Maybe he wouldn’t be so aggressive in any other environment, but this place put him on edge in the worst kind of way.

“I know that.” Kai shoots back sharply, standing to his full height, “What’s your problem?”

“Give it to me.” Birdy orders, holding his hand out, “I am not going to watch anyone else die here.”

“It’s not poison!” He clenches the pill in his fist, “It’s a painkiller for FSM’s sake.”

“It is engineered to be horribly addictive.” Birdy stresses, stepping up to Kai, “The withdrawals for that could kill you-”

“I've been managing my alcohol withdrawal just fine, thanks, I'm sure this wouldn't be any worse.” He snaps, shoving the pill back in his pocket.

Birdy jerks as if struck, “You are so dependent on alcohol you would die from it?”

“Stop talking to me.” Kai turns his back on him bitterly.

The air is fraught with tension, the energy pulled so taut it was only a matter of time before something snapped.

Birdy opens his mouth, “Do you think your friend sacrificed his life so you could ruin yours?”

CRACK-!

It all happens so fast Nya can barely keep up. Kai’s fist connects with Birdy's mask so hard he goes sprawling in the dirt. He stumbles back, slamming into a tree and slumping down at the base of it. He’s got one hand holding his mask in place reflexively, looking up at Kai in shock.

“You-” He snarls, body a pillar of fire as he towers over Birdy, “You do not get to speak about him! You are not even a fraction of the man he was! He may have been a robot, but he was more human than you will ever be!”

Cole gets in front of Kai and pushes him back. He keeps his hands on Kai’s chest to stop him from advancing on Birdy again, “Kai, stop!”

From his place on the ground, Birdy reaches a hand under his mask to wipe at his face. His fingers come back stained dark with blood, nearly black in the strange lighting of the realm. He looks up at Kai and his hand tightens around his staff dangerously.

“What are you going to do? Are you going to hurt me?” Kai spits, leaning to glare at him over Cole's frame, “Just like you hurt Farley? Fine then, go ahead! I can take you!”

Birdy looks down at his hand like it’s not attached to him. He throws the staff on the ground as if it’s burned him and shakes his head hard to clear his vision. He hasn’t said a word, mute in shock. He stumbles to his feet but he has to use a tree to catch himself, leaning on it to keep his feet under himself.

“I’m the master of fire! You don’t scare me!”

Birdy is shaking all over, hand trembling where he has it pressed against the strange tree. His chest is rising and falling rapidly and he has all his focus on Kai.

He turns and vanishes into the woods.

“Birdy!” Lloyd takes a step after him but aborts the mission, whipping around to Kai, “You two stay here with Kai and maybe knock some sense into him.” He points at Cole and Jay before turning to Nya, “Nya, come with me.” She has to scramble to keep up as Lloyd darts after Birdy, but it’s not long before Lloyd stutters to a stop.

He lets out a low growl in frustration, “I don’t know where he went.” He scrubs at his face roughly.

She places a sympathetic hand on his shoulder, “Just take a deep breath, Lloyd.”

“Everything fell apart so quickly.”

“I know.” She swallows roughly and looks away. She doesn’t have the words to make this okay. If they can’t find Birdy, if they can’t convince him to come back… they’ll be lost in the middle of nowhere in a realm that wants so so badly to kill them. Her eyes flick over the ground right to a footprint is half hidden by the leaves of a bright red shrub.

“Look!” She points to it, hoping a solid lead will cheer Lloyd up, “He went this way!”

They cautiously start to track Birdy, being extra careful not to miss any indicators where he ran off to. Finally, they come upon another small clearing. Another large, alien looking tree stretches up above them, the trunk of the tree is a deep blue and there are several bulbs along it where the wood splits to reveal huge chunks of a pale blue spongey growth. On the other side of the tree, Birdy’s foot sticks out from where he’s sitting in the dirt under the shade.

“Birdy!”

And right next to his foot is his mask.

Lloyd stops in his tracks the moment he sees it. “Are you okay?” He asks, staying out of sight of Birdy's face.

A gloves hand reaches out and takes the mask, slipping it on with his body still mostly hidden, “I am alright.” He stands up then and comes around the tree to face them, face once again firmly hidden. He’s holding a water bottle in one hand, using it to rinse the stain off his gloves. Well, he’s trying to.

“Here,” Nya says, stepping forward, “Let me.”

She swirls water around his hands and uses it to sweep the dark blood off the fabric. While she works, Birdy speaks, “I apologize if I worried you. I was always intending to return, I just needed a moment to… attend to my injuries.” He finishes awkwardly. “I was not going to leave you stranded.”

“Birdy, I didn’t come after you because you’re our guide.” Lloyd says, “I came because I wanted to make sure you were okay.”

Speak for yourself, Nya thinks. Well, that’s not entirely fair- she did think that Birdy wasn’t the villain he made himself out to be, and she trusted him to a degree. She wouldn't call them friends, but she didn't want to see him hurt either. Maybe her decision to follow Lloyd was almost entirely based on selfish reasons, but she had also been alarmed by Kai’s punch, worried about the brutality of how the hit had landed. Kai could knock out an opponent's teeth with a weak swing- there was a lot of damage to be done with a sucker punch like that.

“He isn’t like that, really.” She finds herself saying quietly as she draws out the last of the blood in Birdy's gloves, “He didn’t used to be, at least. He was more levelheaded than me before… Before we lost Zane.”

Birdy stays quiet.

Nya keeps going, “He took it the hardest out of us all, I think. He feels a lot of guilt. He lost his elemental abilities right before it happened, y’know? So I think he blames himself.” she moves water over his gloves absently. The blood is gone, but she can’t look up to meet his eyes, “And yeah, Zane was special to all of us, but he did something else for Kai. Kept him balanced, maybe. He got lost after Zane died. He trained until he collapsed, he spent hours patrolling the city, he kept busy because then he could dull the pain. And when he had to stop moving, he drank.”

“Grief does funny things to us all.” Lloyd says softly.

“You’re right. Zane wouldn’t have wanted this for him, and Kai knows that, but you were wrong to speak on his behalf. He’s gone, and none of us want to hear a stranger put words in his mouth.” She lets the water drop, splashing to the ground.

A long moment passes quietly, “I apologize. It was not my intention to disrespect your friend.” It’s his turn to drop his gaze to the ground.

“C’mon,” Lloyd says softly, “I think the others will want to hear that too.”

When they get back to the others, the air is tense. Kai is leaning against a tree attempting to wrap a bandage around his bloody knuckles. Jay is hovering at his elbow and Cole is standing off to the side, not looking at either of them.

Kai notices them first, but cuts his eyes away and pointedly ignores the trio rejoining their group.

“It was wrong of me to bring up your friend.” Birdy says before stepping any closer, “I reacted so strongly because I was afraid for you, Kai. Those pills are designed for control. Samira supplies the people of this realm and then twists their addiction against them.”

“I don’t need your worry.” Kai says, but it’s lost some of the bite it had before.

Hesitantly, Birdy approaches Kai. Slowly, with enough time for Kai to draw away, and with more than a bit of caution to stay out of easy access of another swing, Birdy cups Kai’s injured palm. He takes the bandages next, moving to wrap his hand, “There is not a switch I can flip to turn it off.” Birdy says wryly, carefully winding the gauze around Kai’s hand, “I am sorry for what I said.”

Kai just stares at him.

“...You may not trust me, but I trust you.” He continues, finishing up dressing his knuckles, “I believe you would have made the correct choice.”

Something shifts in Kai. his features soften and he pulls his hand away gently- his guard is still up, but there’s a change in his heart, “Y’know, you’ve got a hell of an iron jaw.” he tries for a joke, but it falls flat. Then, “Why are you doing all this? After everything you’ve done, why have a change of heart now?” He asks, search for an understanding. He didn't get Birdy. Maybe that was part of his aggression- he didn't understand how a warlord like him could just... suddenly decide to be a good person. There had to be a catch.

Birdy looks away, ruminating over his thoughts and looking for the best way to put it all into words, “I am trying to make up for the pain I have caused. I regret the things I have done. I wish I had never stepped foot in that throne room- I have been stuck in the dark ever since, plagued by the mistakes of my past... but I have a choice, now. Even in the darkness, I can choose to reflect the light.”

Kai freezes, looking at Birdy with wide eyes. He opens his mouth, but there’s a crash through the underbrush that interrupts him.

A massive two-legged beast blasts into the clearing with a series of loud clicks, hissing at the group gathered there. On top of the animal, on a makeshift saddle with a pair of leather reins in her hand- is Morrigan.

“I found you~!” She sing-songs.

Her steed shakes its head hard, obviously agitated by the bit shoved in its beak. It’s a massive thing with a set of wings to match, and it’s body was a patchwork of soft brown feathers and iridescent scales. Large slits flutter around the base of its throat as it breathes in, scenting the air. It’s feet are distinctly bird-like, with claws like a raptor and rough textured skin. It isn't happy about its predicament as a faithful show pony, flicking it’s head and flapping its wings in rage.

“You disrespected me, lover! I told you- either you gave me those flowers or something very bad was going to happen.” She flips her brown hair over her shoulder with a flourish, grinning down at the group with shark teeth, “I’ve come to collect, darling.”

“We don’t have the flowers any more!” Lloyd argues.

“Oh, I know that, little boy.” She giggles, “I’m here to do something very bad!”

With that, she shoves her finger out towards them and commands the vulture-bat beneath her, “Sick ‘em, boy!”

With that, the beast roars- and its small beak splits in half, its face opening up in four pieces to reveal a garbage disposal of razor sharp, serrated teeth stained with old blood. Its dark purple tongue flicks out before it crashes forward with the intent to kill. Despite its massive size, the thing is fast. It is upon them before they can think, and it’s only the speed of a ninja that saves their bones from snapping in those jaws.

“What is that?” Jay squawks in unison with the bird, who charges at him.

“A vulture-bat!” Birdy says as he leaps for his staff, fear bleeding into his voice, “Keep your eyes on it! It is quicker than you think!”

“Ew.” Nya says with a nervous laugh, mostly to herself. The bird is horrifying in it’s awkwardness- it’s bones seem too big for it’s body, the tautness of it’s skin revealing the spaces between feathers and scales. Little peeks of pink flesh that’s stretched so thin the blood vessels underneath are clearly visible. It moves unnaturally too, it’s body too long for it’s legs. Every other step it’s chest slams to the ground and bounces back up like he’s compensating for a missing limb. When it roars, foul smelling spittle flies everywhere.

Then she sees it. A long, thin appendage coming out from it’s tail feathers.

It whips it’s body around and her only warning is the high pitched whistle that comes from a deadly strike. She ducks, and the tree behind her explodes.

It’s like razor-wire, thin enough to decapitate any animal that comes it’s way, yet sturdy enough to nearly halve the trunk without even the hint of structural weakness.

Morrigan pulls on its reins so she can look at her targets, “Y’know why I haven’t killed anyone, Birdy? Because everyone does as they are told and gives me what I want.” There’s a manic shine in her eye, “Now you’ll see what happens when you disobey.”

She pulls out a knife and stabs the vulture-bat in it’s haunches. It roars in rage and shakes itself hard, trying to dislodge her, and when that doesn’t work it dives forward with the intent on killing anything around it. It’s pain needed to go somewhere.

Cole brings up a wall of earth high enough to trip the beast and it crashes to the ground, it’s claws scrabble for a moment and it’s back on it’s feet in almost no time. Kai throws a ball of fire in an attempt to scare it, but the singed feathers only seem to enrage it further. It’s mostly a game of cat and mouse with the ninja just barely dodging teeth and claws and a razor tail.

Nya knows they can’t dodge forever.

Birdy dives under the razor-wire that nearly takes his head before he pops up at the beasts underbelly. He’s almost trampled before he managed to grab hold of a patch of feathers and haul himself up onto the animals back. He’d only done all of that to get out of harms way, but now that he was nearly face to face with Morrigan, he had no idea what to do. He brandishes his staff anyway, trying to find his footing on the rampaging beast.

Morrigan stands up, hands still wound up in the reins to keep her balance and she brandishes her sword, “You think you're the only one with a thirst for blood, don't you? You think you're the only one with the guts to slaughter someone!” She snarls with a sadistic smile, “You have no idea what I'm capable of when I don't get my way.” She yanks the reins to one side and the animal veers sharply, whole body tipping and turning. Birdy crashes sideways off his feet and is nearly flung from the beasts back before he can catch it’s tail feathers in one hand.

Nya flicks her wrist and calls a ball of water to her. She throws it as hard as she can, watching it soar through the air and slap into Morrigan. What’s most important is how the water drowns the leather and the scales on the monsters back.

The beast turns toward Nya sharply at the attack, and Morrigan can’t keep her footing on the slick saddle.

One foot slips from under her and she can't catch herself. She tumbles down the beasts shoulder, but before she can hit the ground her body yanks to a painful stop. The reins are still wrapped around her wrist, leaving her dangling at the monsters chest. The bird slams sideways into a tree because of how hard Morrigan yanks on the reins in her fall, narrowly avoiding bashing her to paste. There’s genuine panic on her face as she swings her sword up, trying to slice through the reins so she can survive this encounter.

Birdy crawls up the bird to it’s neck. He nearly throws himself off it when he lunges for Morrigan, holding his hand out for her to take, “Let me help you!” He shouts, voice nearly lost among the vulture-bats cries.

She would have to drop her sword. She looks at him for a long moment before her face twists in hatred. With a mighty heave, she swings the sword at Birdy, aiming for a killing blow. He yanks his hand back and she misses, the sword cutting into the vulture-bat’s shoulder.

It rears back in pain and Birdy goes flying off, rolling to a stop in the dirt.

Morrigan is thrown backward and shaken around as the vulture-bat reacts to the sharp sting. It spots her as she’s thrown to the side, it’s large black eye focusing on her. It understands immediately. With a sharp turn, It whips its head around so she goes flying in a wide arc- right in front of its mouth.

It’s face splits in four. It lunges forward.

The crunch of shattering bones makes Nya feel sick. Blood splatters across the clearing as the bird shakes its head like a dog with a toy, other… debris raining down from its jowls. She didn’t even have time to scream. That must have been a mercy.

The blood pooling on the ground seems to be eagerly absorbed by the ground, leaving swathes of darker spots on the grass.

Nya can see its throat spasm as it swallows what's left of her.

Everything is quiet. The beast’s gills flutter again.

Birdy grabs her arm, snapping out of her trance. “Go!” He orders urgently and quietly.

She turns and runs. She can see Jay ahead of her, and she focuses on not losing him and nothing else. She doesn’t flinch when the vulture-bat roars behind her, and she doesn’t stumble when the earth shakes as it chases after them.

“It’s gaming on us!” Lloyd shouts from somewhere behind her.

“We have to fight!” Cole confirms.

They break out of the forest into muddy earth, the thickness of it sucking at Nya's feet as she tries to run. There are no trees out here in the wastelands- well, no trees big enough to hide behind. The spindly little black plants will do nothing for them now.

She turns around right as the bird explodes from the forest, a looming monster taking up all her vision. Her heart leaps up to her throat. It doesn’t hesitate, covering the land in three long strides before it’s upon them again.

Cole tries to use earth, but the mud is too soft to even slow the beast down. Jay flings lightning but the bird is fast, dodging that and Kai’s fireballs alike. Lloyd hits it heavily on the side with a ball of green energy, and the beast roars in rage as it turns on him. There’s more fighting- fighting is too generous for what they’re doing. Surviving, maybe. Just barely. It’s so angry that any real damage to it just pisses it off even more, too much adrenaline in it’s system to feel any of it.

It bites dangerously close to Cole, whipping it’s long tail back with deadly intent-

SNAP

The tail slams into Birdy's side- hard. It’s enough force to throw him back until he’s tumbling in the mud, coming to a stop on his back.

Black blood streaks across the wet earth.

His whole left side is torn open.

Nya is moving before she can think, “Keep it distracted!” She orders, flying across the mud. She slams down on her knees at Birdy's side, trying to assess the damage- did they pack enough bandages? How bad is it that he most definitely got realm of madness mud all inside his wound?

He has a hand pressed against his side. His glove is soaked through with blood. He makes no attempt to move, “Nya.” he says quietly.

“You’re gonna be fine.” She reassures him immediately, “Just lay still.” She tries to pry his hand away from his side, but he won’t move it.

“Nya, it is too late.” His voice is resigned. She feels like his voice is always resigned, always ready to die, “I need you to listen to me. Please.”

She shakes her head, “Just move your hand. I have medical training, I can help you.”

He acts as if he didn’t even hear her, “You have to go north-east from here. Towards where the sun rises- if you see a tree split in half by a lightning strike, you are going in the right direction.”

“Birdy, move your hand! You’re going to bleed out if you don’t let me stop the flow!”

“Keep walking past that split tree. You’ll see four big mountains in front of you-”

“What are you talking about?” She snaps, stressed and desperate.

“I’m telling you how to get to the mountain of madness.” He says soberly.

She looks at him in disbelief, “Take us there yourself!” She snaps. She pulls on his hand and he lets her, too weak to fight her anymore.

Underneath his torn blue tunic, past the dingy white robes underneath, is glimmering silver skin and a tangled mess of torn wires and gutted tubing. Nya’s brain stalls.

“Nya.” She jerks as if she’s been struck. Everything else vanishes to background noise. That’s not Birdy's voice. It’s softer, higher-pitched. It’s the sound of snowfall and red tailed hawks and fresh baked cookies. It’s the sound of home.

She slowly looks up at him, at that stupid stupid mask. Her eyes are blurry with tears.

“Zane?”

“Watch out!” Jay screams, the sound of the fight behind them blaring reality back into her ears.

She turns around and the beast is upon them. She’s too rattled to think straight-

Zane bursts forward spilling oil and transmission fluid all over the mud. He shoves Nya back, behind himself as he pushes his hand forward in a desperate attempt to change the way this fight ends. A giant pillar of ice shoots out of the mud in front of him and brutally slams into the Vulture-bats chest. Ice spreads at the point of contact, frost swirling up its skin in painful cracks. The beast squawks in startled pain, jerking away from the two before it finally decides the fight isn’t worth it. It flaps it’s massive wings in a panic, scrambling away from the ice and taking flight. It flys like a bat out of hell, it’s ground speed nothing compared to how quickly it takes off towards the horizon.

Zane's knees buckle, and he crashes into the mud and doesn’t move again.

[jumpywhumpywriter]

The Wolf and The Human - "Peaceful, Not Harmless"

Warnings: human death, hypothermia (via violent snowstorm), trapped whumpee, blood loss, cave shelter, broken leg, predator and prey relationship

Okay, so this one's a little different from my usual writing style but the idea struck me out of nowhere so I'm going to post it and see what happens. This one is more of a story that has a meaningful end message or "moral of the story" kind of effect that has a lesson in it. Honestly, this one gave me very poetic vibes.

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The Wolf was lean and powerful as he fought his way through the blizzard, wind tugging at his fur and covering him in snow and ice. Every step was hard, he needed to find shelter to wait out the snowstorm. He'd already passed a fox den earlier, only to find it already occupied with a sheltering porcupine. It was hard to see through all the white, but Wolf determinedly plowed through the snowdrifts, searching for any place to hide, any shield against the vicious weather and biting cold.

Finally, he spotted a cave ahead. He struggled through the chest-high snow until his paws reached the entrance, his nails clicking quietly on the stone as he pulled himself inside, shaking vigorously to rid himself of the snow and ice piled on his sleek black fur. Then he froze, eyes landing on the shaking lump on the floor shaped like a young human pressed against the back wall of the cave.

Wolf considered leaving -- after all, humans only mean trouble and danger. He stood for a long minute or two watching, and eventually realized the human wasn't much of a threat in its condition. And there was enough space in the cave to share the shelter anyway.

Hesitantly, Wolf loped further in, ears shoved forward with alertness and caution, padding to the back of the cave where the vicious wind couldn't reach him. The human boy, he noticed, was huddled on its side... in a puddle of blood, trembling like a fragile leaf. It was injured.

Wolf curled up away from the boy, whose eyes only cracked open to stare at him in fear for a heartbeat before they squeezed back closed with excruciating pain.

The wolf stayed like that for a while, watching the boy shiver and suffer uncontrollably, despite being wrapped in several layers of warm clothing. It was pitiful, really, the reality that even creatures as strong and dangerous as humans still die like any other living animal.

Wolf's only encounter with man had been fleeing from them while being hunted. It was strange to know that he could kill this boy in a heartbeat instead, the tables reversed over who held whose life in their hands -- or paws. Strange that he was seeing a human, but didn't need to run away in fear of death by bullet or snare.

The wolf's golden eyes roamed over the heap of a boy, gaze lingering on one of its legs, which seemed to be the source of the bleeding. A shard of white stuck out of the cloth pants, a sliver of bone sticky with blood. The clumsy human must have fallen down and broke its poor leg, unable to walk back to the safety of its colony before the storm hit. A long and painful way to die, crippled and alone.

Wolf could see the human twitch and moan like a wounded beast whenever a particularly strong gust of cold blew into the cave, pulling its limbs tighter into a ball.

And Wolf felt... sad, really, for this boy's sorry fate. An hour of silence passed, only broken up by the treacherous howling of the deadly winds from outside, along with shallow, wheezing breaths from the human. But then, Wolf rose up from where he rested and cautiously padded over to the human.

The human's eyes fluttered open, and it let out a whimper of fear, brown eyes huge as they stared up into Wolf's golden ones.

Wolf blinked, then settled down next to the bleeding boy, curling his massive body around the unfortunate little thing, sharing his warmth. His large furred figure dwarfed the creature’s small frame. He could feel the boy shaking with fear and blood loss as it instinctively pressed closer against him, desperate to feel more of the warmth Wolf was offering.

Wolf sighed heavily through his long snout, giving the boy's hair a few comforting licks, as though it were only a wolf pup that needed consoling. The human stared up at him with bewildered eyes as it tucked itself closer into Wolf's thick winter fur, frightened but confused and hurt and somewhat relieved all in one.

Wolf nudged it in the shoulder with a low, reassuring growl, showing that he meant no harm. The human wouldn't live much longer, he knew, but its final moments did not need to be spent in terror of the predator sharing its shelter.

Mercy. He was offering a small mercy.

The human held Wolf's gaze for several beats -- drawing a shaky breath in, and out, and in, and out, before it seemed to make up its mind about him, and buried its small face into his furry side with a choked sob, tears mixed with blood staining Wolf's fur.

A moment of deep, primal understanding passed between them, a connection between predator and prey, the relationship that could go both ways - man hunts wolf, and wolf hunts man. The cycle of violence that had met a temporary halt in this cave. A moment of peace amidst chaos in a cruel world.

The poor boy clung to Wolf weakly like he was the only thing it could count on as it cried miserably. Its voice lasted minutes before fading, the grip it had on Wolf's thick fur loosening.

Wolf could hear and feel the boy's skittering pulse start to slow more with every beat, its breaths evening out and growing shallower. The pained tension left the human's face, until it looked almost... peaceful. Calm, quiet, and serene, like the fresh surface of snow that would be left after the storm passed.

Wolf rested his massive head atop the human's with a whine of knowing sadness, a farewell in his native tongue.

I'm sorry, little one, that you had to suffer like this. Wolf curled tighter around the limp and still body, staying there long after the last breath had left it. The human's soul would not be alone.

The boy passed away warm, and safe, in the embrace of the forest's deadliest predator. A moment of humanity, of reality, the harsh truth of the wilderness, that only the strong survive it at the cost of the weak.

But the rules were bent, just this once, because Wolf was peaceful. Wolf was strong, but he did not take the life of his weaker enemy. He let nature take it instead, and merely eased the journey for human's spirit.

It did not mean Wolf was weak that he spared the human further suffering, nor did it mean he was harmless. Because there was a difference between peaceful and harmless, Wolf knew. Peaceful was for those with the capacity for great violence, who chose not to be violent. Harmless was for those too weak to fight, who could not be violent.

Wolf laid his head on his front paws with a sigh, closing his eyes as he felt the human boy's body grow cold alongside him, and let himself drift off to sleep, waiting out the storm.

He was peaceful. Not harmless.

Masterlist

This is part of a series of stories with moral impactful endings just like this one. The others are "The Wolf and The House Dog" and "The Wolf... and Death"

@scoundrelwithboba @lumpofsand @isikedmyself878 @iamheretohurt @fleur-a-whump

@ay5ksal @otterfrost @sausages-things @i-don't-know-sal

[oofouchstovehot]

Alright, here it is.

The original chapters one and two of Blood and Bones, aka, The Dracula AU

this has been annotated purely for my own amusement, enjoyment, and to help me visualise the changes I want to make..... and posted for the enjoyment of the few people who wanted to see it.

BEWARE: These follow along with the original's Letter/Journal format, so First Person Galore!

Crucifix! It's mentioned briefly but it is there.

British people.

IT'S SO OLD.....

(Geno's Notes) [Author's Notes)

______

May 12, 1897

Dear Fresh, You will have to forgive me for not writing sooner, I have been terribly distracted. Count Renrik has had many questions to ask and stories to tell, nevermind I had been enraptured by the journey i've taken and now the location I've found myself in. The landscape is truly beautiful, but I will not ramble, there is too much to describe in this letter.

I wish only to let you know that I have been well, besides a small hiccup with my illness, which has caused me to continue in coughing up blood. Do not worry, the Count has been very understanding and incredibly hospitable since the moment I arrived. Dare I say, we've drawn horribly close. He requires extra assistance and advice, I'm afraid I may stay longer than expected.

Please check with Red and Edge that this won't be an issue. I will write again when my work is nearly finished.

Also, please do not forget to tell our brother I am alright. Knowing how he got when I first revealed I'd be traveling away, he must be completely besides himself now.

Love, Geno.

[Spoiler alert, that was not Geno and there was no love]

_______

I would like to apologize to Mr Stoker for what I have made.

May 3rd, Geno's Journal.

_______

I feel like I was only saying goodbye a few minutes ago and already I'm nearing the end of my journey.

For context, [UUUUUUUUUGH] I have left on a business trip to assist one Count Renrik in purchasing property in Ebott. Tomorrow is my final train ride. Afterwards, I'll make the last stretch to the castle by carriage. Then the castle for a month, give or take a few days, then back home.

I can't help but regret letting Fresh give me his hat, I know he's so attached to it and, all in all, it hasn't helped much in hiding my bandages, or at adjusting me to the crowds.

The people at home has long gotten used to seeing me in the street, I'd almost forgotten how uncomfortable it is to be stared at. [Geno actually lives in a city, where he would definitely be getting stared at all day everyday. please pay no mind to his apparent selective blindness]

I'm hoping a smaller crowd in closer quarters will have a little more respect than on the trains and in the hotels, but this is still far off yet...

My mind is stuck to my work... I still can't believe I've managed to land such a big job so early in my career as a solicitor. I find it likely I'll mess up, say the wrong thing- or offend Renrik somehow.

And on the topic of the Count... I'm hoping for him having a strong stomach, I can't imagine a whole month with my head wrapped up like this,

[Again, realistically Geno would have his head covered very often and would be used to it. Also, I really want to replace the bandages Ioriginally went with with something a bit more practical and comfortable. Not quite a classic eyepatch, his socket's too destroyed, but something similar]

[plus, I think a scene where Reaper encourages him to take it off and be comfortable could be cute]

And I'm so far from home, if anything happened-... Ah, I've been so worried about my brothers having anxiety, I never considered I might end up antsy myself.

On present news, I'm seeing about getting my hands on the recipe for what I'm eating right now-I'm writing this over dinner- for Fresh. It's honestly not my favorite, but Fresh has been developing a taste for spice. I think he'll like it.

Mem- Paprika Hendl

[BRITSH🫵🫵🫵🫵NO SPICE TOLERANCE🫵🫵🫵🫵🫵🫵]

Also, I've just had a letter delivered from the Count, detailing the hotel I'll be staying in after the train ride tomorrow. "The Golden Crone." A little place in the middle of nowhere, to rest on my way to a big place in the middle of nowhere.

It would be wise to retire now, I'll see if I can't get the recipe before I leave in the morning.

_____________

Imagine how cute a scene of him writing in his journal, eating his weakass paprika chicken, noting the little things in his head like Reaper's handwriting instead of just a journal entry

May 5th

________

Our ride into the countryside has been nothing if not scenic... and a little anxious. As of now I'm writing in the carriage. My destination is the Burgo Pass, wherein I'll transfer to another carriage closer to the castle. The rest of the passengers are going to Bukovina. It just turned evening, and if we stay on schedule I won't be near the castle til dark.

[I will bullshit some new location names later. I don't like putting my little au guys in real tangible places]

Note: Lots of skeletons, fire sprites, and furryfolk up here. The kind who can stand the cold. It makes me glad that I don't have any skin to feel the wind; if it's intense enough to affect the population.

While I'm here writing, and nothing of note takes place, I'll detail my stay at the Golden Crone. I'd forgotten to write before bed. (A testament to my personal distraction or the events of the night?)

Mind my conciseness. This is a recollection and I'd hate to affect the accuracy of my entry due to misremembered small details.

[wouldn't a flashback pace so well here?]

I arrived in the late afternoon and was welcomed in by the owner, a sweet older goat monster. She insisted I should stay a few days longer-because today (the day I write this) is Saint George's day and "all the evil in the world' is more powerful tonight- but of course, I had to refuse.

[I'll also be bullshitting a new holiday]

Mem- Revisit the Golden Crone on my way back to let Ms. Toriel know I'm alright.

Showing up late is the worst impression I could give to such an important client. But I was touched(?) by her concern and accepted a crucifix on a chain.

I was raised to find such things -if you will- idolatrous, but her pure worry, apparent good intentions- moved me. Her insistence that I take it "For my mother's sake," was the final nail. I've decided to keep it tucked under my shirt for now.

[Now I'm not an expert on the 1800's, but I'm realising now that is it a little weird that Johnathan found crucifixes kinda weird? Or maybe I got that from an online outline and it was kinda scuffed. Idk was strange to me. Will look into it]

Admittedly, it hasn't been that bad. When I put it on in the morning it was cold, and felt nice against my scar. Maybe I'll give it to Fresh? [SWAG SWAG SWAG SWAG]

But that is in months to come. Now it is the fifth, and the driver of our carriage seems- rushed. Anxious. My fellow passengers as well. They hurriedly talk to him in tongue I barely understand and he responds by pushing his horses onward.

Though he tries, they cannot gallop up some of the hills we're going over. No, they have to walk, and I've been half tempted to hop out and walk ahead of them. It would certainly make writing smoother...

Actually, I think I will ask.

He said no. "Too many wolves." Not safe to walk. But I guess it didn’t matter. It shouldn "t be too long n0w and the road ahead seems decently flat, if not a lit tle bumpy. From now on we'll be going incredibly fast•

Too ff ast to write. I will finish today's entry l ater. My handwriting,s becoming ille gl ble and I'd lik

e to pick up the con v sation.

[I can't remember what language they're supposedly speaking, but Geno does, ofc, know it. Just not that well, he has to pay close attention to understand properly]

___________

May 5th

Burgo Pass, Transylvania[Again, gonna bullshit some new names]

[So fun how the third person scene is the one I'm least proud of]

"Near two hours early."

Everyone deflated in audible relief. Besides Geno, who was slightly confused, and the driver, who remained on high alert, eyes constantly in movement on the surrounding trees.

Geno himself found his eyes drawn to the gaping hole in the thicket they stopped beside. A break in the road. And off in the distance he could now see -thanks to the small gap in the canopy- the top of a tower, way off in the distance, backdropped by the pink and purple hues of twilight.

"You're not expected for a while now," The driver addressed Geno without facing him.

"It will be a shame when they come all the way out here to find nobody around."

"Oh?"

"We have to move on."

[HOLY SHIT RE-READING THIS IM REALIZING- WAY BACK THEN I WONDERED WHY THE DIALOGUE FELT SO WEIRD THERE ARE NO DIALOGUE TAGS. IT NEEDS SOME TAGS. NOT A SINGLE HE SAID IN THIS BITCH]

"Ah," Geno shuffled in his place, admittedly off-put by the coming darkness, "I had supposed you would wait... but, you do have a destination to reach," He secured his bag and rose to make his leave, "Safe travels."

"Wha- wait-" The driver turned, confused to find him standing, "where are you going?"

"Well, shouldn't I get off to wait?"

Everyone made their protest known immediately.

"No, no, absolutely not." The bunny beside Geno urged him back to his seat, "But-" "Too many wolves out, too dark, and you are not expected-"

"-Don't you fear animals? Or thieves that could be on these roads?" Begrudgingly, Geno let himself be resettled in the car and heard the point of the driver, but still, "I have first impressions to make and, as you said, it will be a shame when they come here and find I have not shown-"

"-If he has any sense your host will understand," the driver insisted, "You will come with us to Bukovina and spend a night. Or two. Preferably two- and then you can return and explain your reasoni-"

[making another note to say that, if you've been forced to skim over some of this text... Don't worry. Me too]

He was interrupted by the clicking of hooves in the distance.

Looking down the break in the road, from around the bend, came a cart. There were no passengers but the single driver, who wore dark, heavy clothes... it was almost as though he had dressed to match his stallions, which were of equal dark and intimidating stature.

Beside him, a bunny crossed herself.

"Am fost cât de repede am putut, cum a ajuns aici?"

As the cart came upon them and stopped at their side, two passengers exchanged quick whispers in tongue he couldn't understand.

"Morții călătoresc repede..."

[again, can't remember what language this is, but it should say "How did it get here so quickly?""The dead travel fast" kind of a cheap/weird move but i've always like google translating something from fics only to get hit with the Plot Relevance beam, like i've uncovered some great secret, so it might stay.... though I'm also noticing that Geno is supposed to know this language, yet he has no clue what this means?]

"Friends," Even now as they left the cart and approached theirs, the strange driver's heavy clothing prevented any sincere guesses on his identity, and his voice gave no clues, besides being masculine. "You're very early."

"Y-yes, yes," Was forced out by their driver and nearly lost in the breeze, "This, t-this is not an issue, correct?"

[Does Unnamed Driver seem weird here? i kinda think so but tbh, if you were literally watching death walk up to your car to knock on your windows and take your uber passenger, wouldn't you be a little freaked out too?]

"Not at all," As Geno rose for a second time to leave, for good this time, his arm was caught by the bunny woman.

Geno turned around for just a moment, long enough to make eye contact. Her mouth twitched, an aborted motion to open, a half-minded effort to say something.

She let him go, he turned around, and was immediately met with the heavily bundled stranger's hand around his, which helped him step out.

"Safe travels."

The heavy hand on his back distracted him as, with a screech of metal and the click of hooves, his temporary companions moved on.

They left with the sun, and Geno settled into the comparably run down cart as the new driver lit his lantern.

_________The Journal again, which I despise

-This new drivers features were hidden behind his clothes, and I'm too opposed to staring for a proper guess. I suppose I'll never know for sure. All I know is that they were likely male, his voice was low and... wispy? (I'm not one for romantic descriptions so I'm afraid any misuse will go un-corrected.) And he didn't have any noticeable eye-lights glowing beneath his hat.

Probably human. His horses were particularly jumpy, and it would definitely be harder for someone magically charged to handle such anxious creatures.

He offered me a blanket and pointed out some whiskey under the seat, otherwise, they nary spoke a word until we arrived. He helped me out again, told me to wait, and disappeared.

_____________________Third person and again, idk how i hate it more

Emerging from an open door dressed in nice, dark clothes, a skeleton. He had blank sockets that were slightly off putting against his friendly smile, but Geno, of course, was not one to judge a person for their sockets.

"You must be the solicitor! Queen, correct?"

"Correct, and you're..."

"-Renrik, yes. It's wonderful to meet you," He stopped to kiss his hand.

___________

He must be the nicest stranger I've ever met.

___________

END MY SUFFERING

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

Why did i do this