Chapter Text
“ Hello, child. ”
A large turtle lumbered over to Lian. It towered over them and was made of tree roots and magic. It lowered its head to where Lian stood before a large eye. Their distorted reflection stared back in quiet shock. “ Did you come here to kill me as you did my brother? ”
Lian watched as thick liquid silver coated their reflection's hands. Lian hated when this happened. It was a reminder, one they didn’t want. They hoped it was only in the reflection. Lian looked down. It wasn't just their reflection. Lian tried to rub off the silver, but it wouldn’t come off. “Listen, we only want the warrior’s heart. If you could please show us where it is, I promise we’ll leave as soon as we get it.”
The turtle lifted its head, “ Leave and do what? Follow the path of the poison. I see no reason to allow it. ”
Lian ran as the turtle lifted its leg and nearly stepped on them. Instead of stepping on them, it was stepping past them. “We’re not poison.”
The spirit turned its head towards Lian, “The line between naivety and hopefulness is almost invisible. Tell me how far you will go for such a careless mortal?”
“As far as I have to go, but that does not make us poison.”
The sound of pained screams filled the air. They sounded like Lian. But they came from the darkness that filled this place. The ground shook, and an earthy pedestal lifted Lian face-to-face with the spirit. “ I hope this heart gives what you think it will. I am not foolish to the ways of mortals. I know you will stop at nothing, and if I kill you, I have no doubt the other mortal will attempt to destroy me. So I will lead you to the heart, and you will leave, never to return. Besides, so few mortals think to ask me. ”
The turtle stomped and the pedestal crumbled, and Lian tried to slow their fall, but it was no use. The voice of the turtle rang over them.
“ Be ready, child.”
The darkness became like water and swallowed Lian.
✠ ——— ✠ ——— ✠ ——— ✠
“Lucio! Besnik! HEL…”
The air stopped with the cut-off cry. Lucio turned as the tether froze. Icy numbness crept up his arm. Besnik pushed Lucio. Mercedes and Melchior ran full speed towards the scream.
The three reached a tiny clearing. Lian’s head was thrown back, staring up at the sky. Melchior whined, nudging Lian. Mercedes nipped at the grass creeping up Lian’s arm, but for every blade she pulled off, two more grew in its place.
Lucio knelt and tried to pull their hand from the grass. “Come on, Lian. This isn't funny.”
Their eyes were bright yellow-green. Not the warm brass he had been used to. It was like all their warmth had gotten sucked into the ground. Besnik tried to help pull Lian from the ground, but whatever was holding them down was stronger than the whole group. “How hard is it to move a fucking person. YOU'RE A BEAR!”
Besnik growled at Lucio and lay down next to Lian. Lucio never liked bears, and besnik was being especially annoying right now. Mercedes and Melchior stalked around the lian, watching for any signs of danger. Leaving Lucio feeling useless and powerless.
“Fuck this. I’m gonna find the heart. Then I’ll be strong enough to get them out of this place.”
He picked a random direction and started his march. Past the trees. Past the strange statues that were littered around. The wind blew in a way that sounded like words.
Something yanked on his wrist. The mark on his hand began to burn. Still, he marched through the pain.
The pain crept up his arm and down his spine. Nausea took root. Everything was spinning. Still, he kept going. Till he tripped over a random root. Everything burned, and then it faded. The smell of damp earth and a shivering cold were the last things he remembered when his memories took over his mind.
✠ ——— ✠ ——— ✠ ——— ✠
“Get up, Montag!”
Montag lay shivering in his bed. No amount of furs could keep off the chills that shook his whole body. “Mother, I'm sick.”
“Then you’ll learn to toughen up. Jaeger makes sure he gets out.”
The cold winter air swept in from the open door. The large bird landed on the edge of the bed. Montag tried to get away from the vile creature, but he could barely move. Only getting as far as sitting up.
Its black, beady eyes stared down at him. Montag did try to get out of bed. He didn’t want to be hurt. He still remembers the deep scars Jaeger gave him. He didn’t want to repeat the pain. Years couldn’t heal the memories, and worse of all, years didn’t change Jaeger. The bird was still ever eager to tear into Montag.
The blur of black and red was all Montag could see before his screams bounced off the walls. Talons cut into his shoulder. Blood trickled from the wound. More blood left to be bandaged by him on his own. More scars, none from the battles he won or the strength he had. All from toughing up. Not that toughing up was gonna help him.
He couldn’t toughen up enough for anyone to care. He knew people heard him. He knew they would laugh. They didn’t see the talons. The cuts that took weeks or more to heal. All he could hold onto was the fact that he would be the leader one day. Then no one could hurt him.
✠ ——— ✠ ——— ✠ ——— ✠
The tether dragged him back to the clearing. His vision cleared from the terrible memory, but he could still feel Jaeger's talons on his shoulder. Lian still stayed stuck to the ground. He took their hand. The tether barely pulsed, but it was enough for him to believe that Lian was fighting to get free.
Lian squeezed his hand. He nearly jumped. “Lian!”
The yellow-green bled away, and the grass slid back into the ground. They shivered and shook the dirt off their hand. Lucio took their hand and searched for any sign of injury. “What are you doing?”
“Oh… just making sure you’re ok. Injuries would slow us down,” he brushed away one of the blades that had gotten cut off by Mercedes’ nipping. He paused and quietly asked, “Are you ok?”
Lian laughed, “Other than my eyes feeling dry, I feel fine.”
“What happened?”
Lian looked away, staring at one of the far-off trees. They sounded rushed and overexcited.“Oh, right! I know where the warrior’s heart is. I spoke with the forest. It just wants us to leave.”
Lian stood and whispered something to besnik. Lucio followed after them. They had just gotten possessed by the ground and were quick to get back on the hunt. It didn't feel right to Lucio, “What do you mean by you talking to the forest? Was that what that whole grass possession thing was about?”
They looked back with a look that scared Lucio a little. They were brushing something off. He had done it a million times. It also meant he wasn’t going to get the answer he wanted.