Chapter 6: Bud
Day 37
The hatchling is so lively. Vale seems to be getting along quite well with her, too. They play together most of the time. She took a liking to my goggles, but they're too big to fit her. Plus, she's hungry. Very hungry. I'll have a meat problem...
Day 38
No meat problem. Lots of that, I checked. I also checked for insects, and there were none. But I've been practicing something. I'll go in the Coliseum and be stronger than before. No one will have to die again.
"You can't come!" Caron protested. The Fae blinked, face perfectly still.
"I can."
"You'll die! You are not allowed to come, Vale, end of the discussion!"
"I don't see my death. You need someone. The Path is dangerous when you are by yourself."
"Vale!"
"Why could the others fight?"
"The others died!"
"I don't see my death." The Fae repeated.
Caron sighed. "Okay, okay. Let it be as you want, you can come! But hear me well." he flew close to the young Fae and stared at him in the eyes.
"Don't you dare die on me."
Vale breathed.
"And when I say run, just run. Don't risk more than necessary. And keep calm. Just breathe until you can contuse an enemy."
Fighting was both easier and harder than he had thought. Easier, as the enemies died much more quickly than he had thought. Caron took the enemies out with just a few scratches, leaving the Fae almost nothing to do. Harder, because the wounds were straining him much quicker than he had thought.
He was about to collapse, but he wouldn't say that to Caron. He would just get worried. And Vale knew he wouldn't die.
He just had to keep on supporting Caron with all his might.
"Vale, are you tired?" Caron asked, biting a Janustrap's neck. He looked afraid.
"No." Vale lied. Caron scoffed, as if he could sense the lie from there.
"Don't worry. I can eliminate it instantly. I've been dying to do this for a lot of time." he said, and a grind spread across his face. He shot up, and in an instant dove on the enemy, claws open.
Vale turned his head away when the creature's insides splattered all over the place.
"YES!" the Spiral cheered, and the Fae's crest moved in delight.
Looks like that "thing" worked.
Day 38, Addendum.
We found an egg while scavenging! A Nature egg. It's Greenkeepers' Gathering time, isn't it? Travelling to Nature territory is not too hard for me, and I can probably take on both Vale and Requiem, but I don't think we need to travel that far to attend. We'll just take what is offered here.
Anyway, the egg isn't hatching yet. It probably doesn't feel entirely secure, but I hope it will with time.
Day 39
Today I hope to venture until the Scorched Forest. I think that with my new move we can make it. Vale has also made some progress, even though I don't think he realizes it.
More pain. Vale couldn't hold a whine, and fell to the ground.
"Caron..." the Fae whined. "How long now?"
"I have it!" the Spiral shouted back, flying upwards with all his speed. Vale closed his eyes and let out a sigh of relief.
It's done.
He watched as Caron dove towards one of the Qiriq. He waited for the enemy to drop and its blood to splatter everywhere. But in that precise moment, the nightmares struck again.
He was dead. He was lost.
Caron couldn't breathe.
Fire. Death.
Death.
He was thrown back into reality by splattering blood. Good. That was good. The enemy was dead, and they could just go ho--
"Myrtilus? Storm?"
Bud didn't like this. He was going way too far away. Much more than he should've. But his siblings were nowhere to be found in the Training Fields, nor in the Woodland Path. He had searched everywhere.
He just wanted to go back home and sleep. His legs were about to give up, and his throat hurt from yelling so much. But he couldn't. Myrtilus and Storm needed help, and he would do his best.
There were burnt trees. He had really ventured too far. He bit back a sob, and continued walking.
He had to find them.
He saw colors in the burnt charcoal that covered all, and rushed towards them.
"Myrtilus! Storm!"
But he came to a halt when he saw the bodies up close.
It wasn't Myrtilus and Storm.
He walked around the Spiral and the Fae, careful not to step on the enormous puddle of blood.
"Hello?"
Day 37
The hatchling is so lively. Vale seems to be getting along quite well with her, too. They play together most of the time. She took a liking to my goggles, but they're too big to fit her. Plus, she's hungry. Very hungry. I'll have a meat problem...
Day 38
No meat problem. Lots of that, I checked. I also checked for insects, and there were none. But I've been practicing something. I'll go in the Coliseum and be stronger than before. No one will have to die again.
"You can't come!" Caron protested. The Fae blinked, face perfectly still.
"I can."
"You'll die! You are not allowed to come, Vale, end of the discussion!"
"I don't see my death. You need someone. The Path is dangerous when you are by yourself."
"Vale!"
"Why could the others fight?"
"The others died!"
"I don't see my death." The Fae repeated.
Caron sighed. "Okay, okay. Let it be as you want, you can come! But hear me well." he flew close to the young Fae and stared at him in the eyes.
"Don't you dare die on me."
Vale breathed.
"And when I say run, just run. Don't risk more than necessary. And keep calm. Just breathe until you can contuse an enemy."
Fighting was both easier and harder than he had thought. Easier, as the enemies died much more quickly than he had thought. Caron took the enemies out with just a few scratches, leaving the Fae almost nothing to do. Harder, because the wounds were straining him much quicker than he had thought.
He was about to collapse, but he wouldn't say that to Caron. He would just get worried. And Vale knew he wouldn't die.
He just had to keep on supporting Caron with all his might.
"Vale, are you tired?" Caron asked, biting a Janustrap's neck. He looked afraid.
"No." Vale lied. Caron scoffed, as if he could sense the lie from there.
"Don't worry. I can eliminate it instantly. I've been dying to do this for a lot of time." he said, and a grind spread across his face. He shot up, and in an instant dove on the enemy, claws open.
Vale turned his head away when the creature's insides splattered all over the place.
"YES!" the Spiral cheered, and the Fae's crest moved in delight.
Looks like that "thing" worked.
Day 38, Addendum.
We found an egg while scavenging! A Nature egg. It's Greenkeepers' Gathering time, isn't it? Travelling to Nature territory is not too hard for me, and I can probably take on both Vale and Requiem, but I don't think we need to travel that far to attend. We'll just take what is offered here.
Anyway, the egg isn't hatching yet. It probably doesn't feel entirely secure, but I hope it will with time.
Day 39
Today I hope to venture until the Scorched Forest. I think that with my new move we can make it. Vale has also made some progress, even though I don't think he realizes it.
More pain. Vale couldn't hold a whine, and fell to the ground.
"Caron..." the Fae whined. "How long now?"
"I have it!" the Spiral shouted back, flying upwards with all his speed. Vale closed his eyes and let out a sigh of relief.
It's done.
He watched as Caron dove towards one of the Qiriq. He waited for the enemy to drop and its blood to splatter everywhere. But in that precise moment, the nightmares struck again.
He was dead. He was lost.
Caron couldn't breathe.
Fire. Death.
Death.
He was thrown back into reality by splattering blood. Good. That was good. The enemy was dead, and they could just go ho--
"Myrtilus? Storm?"
Bud didn't like this. He was going way too far away. Much more than he should've. But his siblings were nowhere to be found in the Training Fields, nor in the Woodland Path. He had searched everywhere.
He just wanted to go back home and sleep. His legs were about to give up, and his throat hurt from yelling so much. But he couldn't. Myrtilus and Storm needed help, and he would do his best.
There were burnt trees. He had really ventured too far. He bit back a sob, and continued walking.
He had to find them.
He saw colors in the burnt charcoal that covered all, and rushed towards them.
"Myrtilus! Storm!"
But he came to a halt when he saw the bodies up close.
It wasn't Myrtilus and Storm.
He walked around the Spiral and the Fae, careful not to step on the enormous puddle of blood.
"Hello?"
AN: Whew, done! Short chappie, yes, but it was mostly transition. So just to make things clear, Vale died.
Darn it.
I'm attached to that dragon, so I opted to give him off to the readers. If more than a person wants it, I'll just extract numbers. Taking in Vale would usually render you ineligible for a crossover, but I think we can discuss something to have one nevertheless if you so wish.
Pinging:
@ocularoracle @Yitzki @Lunila @BlueberryCrane @pensandink @Tiirran @Nihilo@KairiDragoness @Antaria @Rookery @Cien @Caeoltoiri @BloodyAngel12 @SavannahSunstone @Rifka
Wishlist | They/Them or Xe/Zir | Please ping me!