dragons!!!

[wild_magic]

It wasn't every day that a dragon flew in and started destroying the city you live near.

Honestly it wasn't every day that you even see a dragon, so it was already a strange thing, but the attack was even more out of the ordinary.

Susan was worried when he heard it, when he saw the dragon, and although he was worried about the citizens of the city, he was the most worried about his brother. He didn't know how long he would be, if he was okay, and he didn't have a way to contact him. He sent his familiar in, in falcon form, but it didn't really help. He had no idea where Lauren was.

He waited, though, trusting that his brother could take care of himself. But by nightfall he was starting to really worry, and he couldn't help it any longer. He gathered his things together before starting to head towards the city... Right as he noticed a seagull flying over head. It was weird, normally he wouldn't see something like that around, and it's even stranger when the bird lands in front of him. It's stranger still when it opens its beak and speaks to him in Lauren's voice, but he just looks confused as the bird finishes and flies off. At least he knows he's safe and that he should wait for him, but how long would it take for Lauren to get here? He just doesn't know.

But he can at least give him the benefit of the doubt and stick around a little longer. And so he climbs up to the top of one of the trees near their little hollow, getting a good vantage point so that, hopefully, he can see Lauren as soon as he arrives.

Comments

[mylastchance]

Lauren doesn't like shifting. He's never admitted it. He knew it was part and parcel of his connection with nature. He'd always known that, always known the power of that, and of how it could be used for great feats of strength and cunning. KNowledge didn't make him like changing his form anymore than he would have without the power. It's out of desperation whenever he changes, and it's that same desperation now that has him running on all fours, taking the shape of a panther to increase his speed. His mind is on his brother, and he can't help but feel fear twisting in his stomach.

All he can do is hope that Susan got his message. He hopes he sent it on time, that he hadn't tried to find a way into the city. It's these worries that make him run, and keep running, his legs burning, even enhanced as they are by his new shape. It feels like it takes him years to finally get to their forest, charging inside and finding their clearing by scent. He would recognize that smell anywhere, but when he gets to the clearing, he finds no one, and he paces the campground in a circle, tail twitching in agitation before he resumes his normal form.

[wild_magic]

Susan was still in the tree when he saw the cat charge into the clearing, and he watches in confusion before it transforms back into his brother. He hasn't seen him transform much, if ever, and it surprises him - but at the same time he's happy, very excited to see Lauren safe and here, and he quickly climbs down the tree, getting a bit scratched up by some of the smaller branches and twigs as he hurries.

As soon as he's down, he runs to his brother and hugs him tight.

[mylastchance]

He hears the rustling in one of the trees and looks over to see his brother drop to the ground. His eyes sting and his throat hurts as Susan runs to him, but he's not thinking about anything other than wrapping Susan in his arms and holding him tight. His clothes are dirty and have tears in several places. He's tired and sore, with bruises here and there, but he doesn't show any concern for himself. His focus is only on holding Susan tightly, glad he was here and safe and sound where he needed to be.

[wild_magic]

Susan doesn't pay attention to any of that at first, just hugging him tight and not letting go. Finally though he pulls back a little to look up at him with a pout.

"You took so long, I thought you died!"

[mylastchance]

His eyes are red when he looks back at Susan, brow's furrowed in remembered fear. He won't tell his brother that he nearly did. He doesn't want Susan worrying about him.

"I'm sorry. We had to see as many people as we could safely out of the city."

[wild_magic]

"You should have told me sooner, I could have helped..."

[mylastchance]

He shakes his head, looking down. He was so glad Susan wasn't there, but at the same time, what if he had been. Would less people have died? Would they have been able to save more.

"There were guards everywhere." he murmurs, voice scratchy. "They wouldn't let anyone in or out. They were rounding everybody up into cages and feeding them to that beast."

[wild_magic]

He looks down, still pouting, but he isn't going to argue. He can tell Lauren already feels bad about it.

"...Are you okay?"

[mylastchance]

He's on his knees already from the shape change, and it puts him and Susan at roughly the same height. It's good for hugging, but now it's only adding to the feeling in Lauren's chest. He feels very small, and in his mind he can hear the shouting and the screaming of another village being destroyed. He sits back on the ground, his legs folding underneath him, and stares down at the ground.

"No."

[wild_magic]

Susan frowns. He doesn't really know what his brother is thinking, but he can tell something is upsetting him. Maybe it's just the fact that he couldn't save all the people.

He pulls back, moving to sit next to him and lean his head against Lauren's arm. He looks up at him, worry clear.

"What happened?"

[mylastchance]

He looks down at his brother, thinking of Aleyd, and Cassyt and of the half-elf crying over Fat Mar's body. He glances away.

"Aleyd is dead."

[wild_magic]

"The knight?" He's surprised, she seemed pretty capable and everything. He wasn't close to her or anything, but it's still a little upsetting.

"How did she die?"

[mylastchance]

"She distracted the guards, so we could sneak past and rescue the prisoners."

[wild_magic]

He nods, looking down.

"I'm glad, it wasn't you."

[mylastchance]

He swallows past the lump in his throat, looking back down at his brother before wrapping an arm around his shoulders.

"I was so worried you'd come looking for me by yourself." his voice is quiet.

[wild_magic]

He leans more against him, nuzzling against him a little even.

"You should've told me you were safe sooner, I almost did!"

[mylastchance]

He holds him closer.

"I couldn't." He must have cast more spells that day than any other in his entire life. It had made him feel powerful, but at the same time exhausted. "I had to call the gull with a ritual, and I barely had enough energy even for that."

[wild_magic]

"I was really worried... You didn't come back, even when it was dark."

[mylastchance]

His eyebrows crease in concern, before he pulls Susan to his chest, wrapping his arms around him once again.

"I'm sorry."

[wild_magic]

Susan just leans against him, hiding his face against Lauren's chest.

"Is everyone okay...?"

[mylastchance]

He nods, taking more comfort in Susan leaning against him than he'd like to admit.

"They'll be okay. Don't worry."

[wild_magic]

He's quiet for a bit before his next question.

"...Is it going to eat the rest of the people?"

[mylastchance]

He holds Susan tighter, closing his eyes, and folding over his little brother just a bit.

"I don't know."

[wild_magic]

He looks up at Lauren.

"We can't just let that happen!"

[mylastchance]

"Susan," he murmurs, almost too quiet to be heard. "He's an ancient green dragon with over a hundred soldiers at his disposal."

[wild_magic]

"We aren't fighting him, only saving all of the people!"

[mylastchance]

"How do you think we can do that without fighting him?"

[wild_magic]

"By sneaking in and using magic!"

[mylastchance]

"You want us to sneak past a dragon?"

[wild_magic]

"No, just his guards... We can do it!"

[mylastchance]

"The dragon is where the people are Susan!"

[wild_magic]

"We can still do it..."

[mylastchance]

"I want to save them too Susan, but we can't."

[wild_magic]

He looks away, frowning and upset, but doesn't say anything. He doesn't want to just leave them, but he knows Lauren is right.

[mylastchance]

He watches Susan look away, and his heart sinks. He looks down, tears falling from his eyes.

"I'm sorry. I don't want to let them die." his voice shakes, his mind thinking back on the destruction of his own town. His eyes close, and his grip on Susan loosens, until his hands touch the grass beneath him, and clutch at the damp thin leaves between his fingers. He sees his father, telling him to stay hidden, and as he walks it's Cassyt and Aleyd running away from him, to their own death as the Black Fist in green charge after the enemies.

He takes in a shuddering breath.

[wild_magic]

He just keeps looking away, feeling torn, but he can tell his brother is upset, and so he hugs him now.

[mylastchance]

He folds over his brother's smaller form as the younger boy now tries to hold him instead.

"I don't know what to do. I couldn't do anything."

[wild_magic]

He shakes his head as he tries to comfort him.

"I know you did stuff, you must have... You wouldn't have taken so long to come home otherwise."

[mylastchance]

He shakes his head no, pulling back to wipe at his eyes with his hands as his crying gets worse. For the first time in a very long time he wants to see Mother and Father. He wants to be in a home, safe in there arms and he can't be and he never will be again and it hurts. He feels so small.

"But I-I couldn't save her, and she wouldn't listen and I couldn't do anything to make her stop." He slips into elvish, he knows both languages well, but there's something about the soft fluid sounds of the elven tongue that give him comfort. They remind him of being held in her arms and sung to. Even Father had known their language, and although in the village common was all he spoke at home to them it was Elven that came from his tongue,

[wild_magic]

Susan is out of his element, not knowing what he can do to help his brother. It's not often that his age is a problem for him, or that he even gives it much thought, but it does mean he's never been the one giving comfort, and it makes him frustrated and upset that he can't help Lauren. He just keeps hugging him, leaning his head on him.

"Some people are just stupid... You can't help everybody."

[mylastchance]

But he wants to. He wants to so bad. He just wish sometimes that the world as it was would stop. If everyone lived like they were supposed to with nature, with no idea of power or hierarchy or money, then maybe death wouldn't be something that so many feared. He quiets down as his brother hugs him. Slowly his sobs come to a stop, and he's wiping the last of the tears from his eyes with a sniff. His eyes are half closed and for the first time he looks truly tired. Somehow older than before.

"You don't remember anything from back then, do you?"

[wild_magic]

He's quiet as Lauren cries and finally calms down, just sitting with him and doing his best to be there for him. When his brother finally speaks, he looks up at him curiously.

"You mean...?" He can guess when he means, but he needs to make sure.

[mylastchance]

"Home." It's the only thing he says, and although they have lived here forever it's apparent the glade isn't what he's talking about.

[wild_magic]

He catches on to that, and he frowns a little at his wording (this was home, to him), he doesn't question or argue.

"Only a little."

[mylastchance]

They don't talk about before the forest much. When he was younger he assumed Susan remembered as much as he did. As they got older and he realized his brother's memory was funny he didn't want to bring it up. It just wasn't something he talked about. It wasn't something he wanted to talk about it, it wasn't something he was comfortable talking about. Especially not to Susan, who was supposed to understand. So he never asked, and never told. He sags at hearing the confirmation at last, breathing deeply. He nods, before flopping over to lay on the ground, taking Susan with him.

"I hate it."

[wild_magic]

Susan "oofs" as they fall, wiggling away from Lauren to lay next to him instead.

"Hate what?"