#remille | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

skeletinmoss · 1 month ago

Text

The curse of the dark Phoenix

Chapter 14: Destination

First chapter | Previous

Read on Tumblr:

Roman startled awake when he felt a weight on his chest, followed by a tongue licking the side of his face. "Star!" He exclaimed in shock, bolting up and pushing the overgrown pup off of him.

Virgil chuckled next to him. Roman scowled at the high Mage, who gently moved his hand past his slobber covered cheek. Roman felt his annoyance melt away as Virgil's magic erased the slobber.

"Sorry. He is disturbingly good at telling when I'm done resting and when I’ve been gone for a bit he doesn’t let me ignore him for a second longer than absolutely necessary," Virgil explained as he helped Roman up of the bed. Roman was about to say something, but then he realized magic moved through his clothes and he suddenly felt as though he just stepped out of a hot shower and into freshly washed clothes. Wow...

"Yeah. That is much better," Virgil breathed in relief.

Heading for the door. Roman followed him in a hurry.

"You ascended spontaneously?!" he recalled astonished.

"Yeah. It happens sometimes. I embraced all that my guide represented, even the parts I didn't like admitting to and set my magic free. So the magic claimed me. A spontaneous ascension is quicker, but harder to trigger. All the pieces have to be in line for it to happen. It looks cool, but it's also... harder to get back to your human form when you are suddenly one with magic like that. I would have collected myself eventually. But if I hadn't been in a room with friends and family to anchor me, it might have taken a few days," he explained.

"It was really cool, though. How you stood up for your sister and put that guy in his place in front of all these people! I wish I had something that cool to show you, and you have at least 4 more centuries of memories!" Roman gushed as they got to Virgil's study where Virgil picked up the crystals, made them into pendants with some summoned materials, and hung them on some pieces of thread he put around his neck.

"It was cool on accident. Doesn't count," Virgil insisted.

"Cool on accident is the best kind of cool," Roman countered as they headed to breakfast. He didn't have that many memories left to show Virgil and secretly using improved recipes was probably going to be the peak of his memories.

Virgil stopped and looked at him. Firm, yet affectionate. He didn't want him to talk down on himself.

He blushed, but found he couldn't look away. Virgil had his gaze locked in and had no intention of letting go until he was convinced that Roman was done being his own worst critic.

"Everything you remember made you, you. And I happen to be quite fond of you. So nothing that made that person, could possibly be uncool or irrelevant," Virgil insisted. Roman couldn't help a little smile at that. When he said it like that... how could he not feel better? Virgil nodded, satisfied and continued to lead the way.

"If you want, we can dream again tonight. After we saved Remus," he promised. More determined than confident in their chances of success. Failure was clearly not an option he wanted to even think about.

Roman followed him until they found Logan and Patton, enjoying breakfast and reading their books.

As they joined them Roman saw Patton was reading up on Phoenixes.

"Good morning," Virgil greeted, amused. Logan hummed in acknowledgment. Patton did look up.

"Morning Virgil! Your clothes sure are something," he said. Virgil shrugged. "What are you reading?" he asked.

"Your friend’s book. Your feathers have the same properties as a real phoenix?" Patton asked, pointing at a note in the margin. Virgil nodded as he and Roman gathered some breakfast for themselves.

"Yeah. In ordinary transformations, any harvested materials would be of inferior quality to the real thing. But a guide transformation is a complete shift. Even other phoenixes wouldn't be able to tell that I am actually a mage. When unpleasant kings rose to power, some high mages took refuge in their guide forms to avoid an oath and await a time when the undesirable king could be replaced properly," Virgil explained.

Patton nodded and flipped some pages.

Virgil glanced over at Logan curiously. Roman took a peak and rolled his eyes. Of course. "Chrono-magic," he offered aloud.

Virgil chuckled and nodded in understanding. Both silently agreeing to let them study in peace while there was still time.

They spent breakfast trying to have a silent conversation. Roman recalled the feeling the tailor's apprentice had evoked in Virgil. Virgil nodded, indicating he knew who they were not talking about. Roman thought of singing and adventure and looked at Virgil, who smiled fondly and nodded. He had fallen for that passion in the apprentice, and seeing that same passion in Roman was one of the things that had sparked his interest in Roman.

Roman barely had the chance to feel a little insecure about that before Virgil hit him with his feelings for him. And the complete lack in nostalgia in them by contrasting it with the feeling he'd had while weaving together yesterday.

He wasn't interested in Roman because he reminded him of a past lover. He reminded him of a past lover because he was the type of person Virgil was attracted to.

Roman allowed his flustered giddiness to take front stage before pulling back and pressing on with fond teasing. Slow, huh?

Virgil looked at him smugly and winked. Maybe this was slow for him.

Roman tried not to think too much about what he might mean by that.

"Well. I don't know about you guys. But I'm sated," Virgil announced, getting up, prompting the dishes to start clearing themselves of the table. Patton and Logan looked up with a start and put the books they'd been reading in their satchels. "Ahem. Yes. Apologies," Logan offered.

"No need. We entertained ourselves plenty," Virgil assured him.

“It'll be 2 hours travel on horseback to the nearest location for the Inn. We should take the opportunity to leave the horses there. The innkeepers will return them home. That does mean that we will be traveling on foot for the next part of our journey. Roughly 6 to 7 hours. That means it'll be roughly 10 hours, including some breaks before we are at the temple. So, we might need another hour of rest," he concluded, unhappy with that realization. "Assuming delays, we'll infiltrate the temple 12 hours from now," he finished, resigned.

Roman raised his hand. "What if we do it all on horseback?" He wondered.

Virgil shook his head. "I don't want to risk their safety by bringing them too close to the fight. Not to mention, I've pushed them pretty hard already." He objected.

Roman shook his head and looked to Patton. Virgil guessed his next offer. "He can't carry all three of us and I don't know how well the moonstones work. I can't risk the curse messing with other transformations," Virgil insisted.

"But what if you and Patton teach me?" Roman argued.

Virgil opened his mouth, and then froze. "Are you sure?" He asked, unable to hide the hope he felt.

Roman nodded. "That would cut... 3 and a half hours off our travel time, right?" He pointed out.

"I can try. If it doesn't work, then fine, it doesn't work. But the sooner we save your friend, the better, right?" Roman stated. Virgil nodded. "Yeah. Yeah, that could work," he agreed.

"Right. Let's get going then," the high mage decided.

"Come, Star. Let's find Remus," he announced, much to the wolf's excitement. When they got outside, Virgil closed the door with a promise to be back soon.

He promised the horses they'd go home today. Which got them in a good mood right away.

The ride was amicable. Patton's light was holding strong. Giving Logan some time to have another Crack at the inscription.

Stardust was jumping this way, and that in excitement. Sprinting over the road and returning to check if Virgil was still on the horse until Virgil whistled. A signal to walk by his side. They were approaching a village. "The Inn is just past here," he said. Anticipation clear. They'd done their best to explain transformative magic to Roman. Soon it would be time to see if any of their lessons had stuck. Roman was a bit nervous too. It would be his first attempt at this type of magic. It could go wrong. And Virgil had reminded him several times that these physical transformation were nothing like the Phoenix to human transformation he'd experienced through Virgil's eyes not too long ago.

He was still determined to give it his best shot though. Virgil was counting on him.

The village was cute. It was very early in the morning. The first rays of sun were peeking through the trees, Virgil pulled up his hood nervously. It was starting to look like a gamble, cutting through the village...

Suddenly something drew his attention.

"Star... fetch," he announced. Roman looked about. Stumped as to what could have possibly caught Virgil's eye. Then he realized Stardust was charging at two teenage boys. Two shockingly familiar boys. They looked like younger versions of two of Virgil's teachers... how!?

The boy who looked like Janus' uncle Remy jumped in front of his companion holding up a stick to fend off the cosmic wolf charging at them. Stardust skidded to a stop and looked at the pair. Whining pleadingly. Which completely took the poor teens of guard.

Virgil whistled and Stardust immediately rushed back to their group.

"Sorry about that!" Virgil called as they continued their way. Soothing Roman's curious confusion with reassurance that said, be patient.

Roman glanced at Pat and Lo, giving their questioning gazes a shrug in reply.

They just left the edge of town when Virgil got off. The sun had risen enough that it should turn him into a phoenix any second now. There was a purple and red glow. The energy rustled Virgil's clothes and a mighty cry echoed over the fields. But Vigil didn't seem to change.

"Hmm not perfect, but doable. Virgil mused, taking of his hood as he turned towards them. His face was not framed by hair but jet-black feathers. They ran down his throat and along his arms. Most of it looked like it could be a strange fashion statement.

"Virgil!" A pair of voices chorused. And a moment later, Virgil was tackled by the two teenagers, much to Star's excitement.

"Okay. Guys. I'm glad to see you both too. Though I’m a bit upset you didn't come look for me your previous go around," Virgil admitted as they sat back up.

"We didn't remember the last time," The boy that looked like the teacher that had supervised Virgil's great mage ritual said.

"At All? Who made the move this time?" Virgil wondered.

"Emile," the Remy lookalike stated.

"You were going to fight off a big scary wolf for me. How could I not?" Emile pointed out.

Virgil chuckled "Well, that puts Emile in the lead 15 to 10 now I believe. Better step up your game Rems." He teased as they got up. "Roman, Patton, Logan. Meet high Mage Emile, eternal lover of the frozen tempest and his partner, high Mage Remy, Eternal lover of the smoldering heart."

... how?

"They came up with magic bonds. But theirs did something a bit out there. Whenever one of them dies, the other does too, and they both get reincarnated. Getting their memories back when they kiss one another for the first time," Virgil explained.

"Aw! That's so romantic!" Patton squealed.

"So that makes Remy the frozen tempest and Emile the smoldering heart?" Logan concluded. The three high mages nodded.

"What's with the new look?" Remy wondered.

"A curse, as far as I can tell. I got jumped, cursed and locked in a box right before the dark magic plague hit, apparently," Virgil explained.

"The plague!" Emile gasped. "Is everyone really gone?"

"No. I'm almost certain all high mages can be found and saved... the great mages... I'm afraid they are really lost," Virgil admitted. There was a moment of silence.

"We are headed to save Remus, and then Janus and after that... we'll see what comes next," Virgil assured them.

"We can help!" Emile insisted desperately.

"You are fifteen. I haven't met your families yet, but I don't want them after me for kidnapping you." Virgil insisted.

Emile bit his lip as though trying not to cry.

"Hate to say it but the kid is right," Remy agreed.

Virgil rolled his eyes. "Go explain the whole situation to your parents. We'll come by when we head to the castle if we can." Virgil promised.

The duo nodded. "It was nice meeting you all. Take care of each other," Emile insisted.

"Kick my nephew's ass for getting caught with his pants down!" Remy added as he took his lover's hand and headed back to the village.

Virgil chuckled and got back on the horse with Roman. "Well. That all just happened," he concluded, happy with this occurrence. "Those were your teachers when you were at school," Roman said. "Yep," Virgil confirmed.

"Pretty sure they've been around the longest, but with their reincarnations and stuff getting in the way, me and my friends are catching up on them in terms of experience with magic," Virgil said smugly.

Roman looked at his friends. Nope. They were not wrapping their heads around any of that right now. They were still figuring out Virgil's age.

"There we are!" Virgil announced as a two story building came into view. He put up his hood before knocking.

The husband opened again.

"We need passage. To Rinsfort for the horses, they cannot join us any further and Solaris for us," Virgil stated, handing the man some coins. The husband nodded and let them in. "I'll bring you to your destination first, and then I'll take care of the horses. You have our honor," he pledged. Virgil nodded. "And you have my gratitude," he replied.

The door was closed behind them, and by the time they turned around, it was open, and the exterior had changed a lot. The light was even notably brighter.

Virgil strode outside. As soon as he heard the door close, he turned towards Roman and Patton. "Let's see what you have," he stated.

“Wait!” Roman said as he took out his sending stone. He cleared his throat. Time for a little bit of acting.

“Roman for Terance, or whoever is closest to this damn stone! Anyone hear me?” he called out, frantic, worried, shocked.

“T-terance here! What is going on?” Terance asked bewildered.

“We uncovered something bad. A cult at the sunlake. It could threaten the throne. You must tell the king that we humbly request any available men in the nearby area to be made aware of these blasphemous practices,” he stated.

“Cult…? How…? No, you are right. That is bad. I’ll let him know. Thank you. Be safe!” Terance insisted. And then the stone went still.

Roman smiled. “Now there’ll hopefully be backup to arrest them all once we’ve disarmed them,” he stated.

“Good thinking,” Logan nodded in agreement. “I was wondering how we were to detain an entire cult to keep them from coming after us. This would certainly eliminate some of those concerns.

Virgil nodded. “Now, let’s see how we get there,” he said, bringing them back to the matter of transportation. Here went nothing.

Roman swallowed nervously and closed his eyes. He clenched the horse hairs tightly in his fist and channeled his magic through them. Asking them to guide the magic so he could take the form he desired...

He felt his body change and forced himself to keep focusing on his breathing. With every breath, he was less a man and more a horse. It was an uncomfortable change bug je didn't waver. He had to do this. Not just for Virgil and his friends. For the pact he and his friends had made to be great. To unravel the secrets. For his parents and all travelers who wouldn't have to fear the dark as much. For the farmers who wouldn't have to fear the winters. For his king who longed for answers…

Suddenly it was like he crossed some kind of mental barrier and the change was sudden and very nearly painful. He let out a chocked shout, but it came out as a neigh. His hands... hooves landing on the ground. He looked up nervously.

He saw Logan stand next to a Grey horse with white hair and clear blue eyes both were looking at him. As was Virgil. Did he mess something up?

"You did great," Virgil soothed. "It just got... intense, at the end there. Are you alright?" He asked. Roman righted himself. He felt a little wobbly. He took a few steps in place to test out his footing. Then he carefully walked a circle around the group. Feeling everything was in place. He could feel his tail, his manes. It was so unreal. He threw back his head and made another round at a faster pace, just to be sure he had the hang of it. He skidded to a stop in front of Virgil and neighed in affirmation. He looked to Patton who took a few careful steps and then trotted a circle of his own, making a little jump in delight when he got the hang of it.

Virgil smiled. "Good. I'm glad. We'll get to the lake much faster now. Thank you," he said gently. Then he summoned a saddle. Roman huffed a little displeased.

"Just the saddle. I promise," Virgil said gently as he put it on Roman's back, secured it and got on. Roman shook his head and stepped in place this felt weird. Virgil chuckled and Roman stilled immediately as he got the sense that Virgil was thinking of a dirty joke right now. "Sorry. Truly,” Virgil said, though he sounded just a bit too amused to Roman’s liking. “You good Logan?" He asked.

"Yes... I suppose I am. It is a novel experience to be sure," Logan admitted.

"Don't think about it too much," Virgil advised.

"Let's go," he suggested. Roman appreciated he resisted the urge to put his heels in Roman’s flanks to urge him onward like he’d ordinarily do when riding a horse.

He and Patton got going with urgency in their step. They had a high mage to save.

#sanders sides #prinxiety #ts remy #remy sanders #remile #ts emile #emile picani #the dark phoenix au

21 notes · View notes