Chapter 6: Dragon and Dragon Part Two (Patreon)

Frustration and guilt were not uncommon companions to Godric Lux, but they were heavy now as he sat listening to Deir casually tear into the Council of First Home, who remained stiffened in their seats, from her vitriol.

“- of you thought to tell us that you had set off a Dragon?”

Councilor Bottoms looked shaken, his face pallid with sweat. “Was it truly relevant? She is out there waiting to come back to finish us. Haven promised us protection-“

“From the Caedreans,” Deir replied, smiling in a deceptively soft manner. “Not from your own incompetence.” She frowned and shook her head. “Tell me you’ve dealt with the man.”

Godric noted that one of the younger blond men sitting huddled in his dark blue coat shivered slightly at Deir’s words, his eyes averting a minuscule amount. That was Councilor Geren, wasn’t it?

“A Duel got out of hand,” another one of the men said, “But there was no reason for this Dragon to take it this far,” he said gruffly.

Deir looked seconds from removing the man’s head barehanded, and despite his better judgment, Godric spoke up, knowing he had to divert Deir before she actually did cause a political incident. “Dragons don’t change their heart; everyone knows that. You’ve removed the one thing in the world that keeps her sane, and now she’ll die too. Who's the man?”

He noted that Councilor Geren minutely flinched even as the rest of the amphitheater's focus remained on Godric, fear coiling its acrid scent throughout the stone expanse.

Councilor Bottoms attempted to smile pleasantly, “This is an internal matter of our city. While we appreciate Haven’s work, the judgment and sentencing of our citizens is in our hands. We expect Haven to hold to its protective agreement while the Caedreans are here.”

Godric raised an eyebrow at the man, the burning pit in his gut, begging him to be set free.

The man noticed his attention and flinched back, though Godric had made no overt moves. He wondered idly if Silvers or Crowns had been the man’s chosen currency for this purchased representation.

Godric sneered, shook his head, and then turned, walking away, his boots clicking off the stone as he walked up the steps.

He ignored the mutterings of the Council behind him and Deir’s piercing look that followed him to the exit. Though she did not call after him,

He left the Council’s amphitheater, taking a deep breath of sea air as he walked down the building’s steps onto the smoothly paved roads.

Idly, he looked about, noting a group of green mages working detail on one of the buildings nearby, joining stone together to refresh the outer façade into pristine condition; the carving was rather detailed, showing a fleet of ships drifting toward a shore in exquisite marble white relief.

This whole city disturbed him truly, exactly like the Humans to live in unfeeling stone torn from the ground, with little of anything that was green or that grew in sight. Nothing of the Tree’s love was here.

Cat padded to his other shoulder as he continued to drift through the streets, debating with himself his current plan but knowing there was no real other option, thankful he could expect Deir to be caught with the Council for some time yet.

‘It’s a bad idea,’ Cat said almost conversationally, and Godric’s lips twitched up in amusement.

“I didn’t know you could read my mind,” Godric drawled.

Cat hummed, kneading his shoulder with her claws. ‘You could die, which would be really bad for everyone around you.’ She licked his face, a warm, wet, scratchy sensation. ‘And me.’

Godric shrugged, “I’d be pretty far from First Home, and you’d be free, wouldn’t you? I don’t see why you’re against it.”

Cat hissed, and Godric felt pinpricks on his skin as Cat attempted to sink her claws into him. ‘I’m not okay with that.’

Something wistful trickled through Godric’s head, not nostalgic, just a strange sensation as he got the impression that Cat didn’t really want him to die.

It was kind of nice.

They arrived back at the building they were stationed out of, and Godric slipped through quietly, not wanting to disturb the rest of his Circle and not only because of how late it had gotten after they had returned from the Caedrean’s encampment.

‘Godric,’ the Cat snarled, and Godric was taken aback by its use of his name, ‘What by the Root do you think you’re going to do? You can’t use anywhere near that level of magic.”

Godric shrugged. “I know,” he admitted, “But maybe if I let it try and eat me, those useless Caedreans might actually try some basic magic.”

‘That’s unfair,’ Cat said, ‘You know that’s unfair. You can’t put your life at risk like this.’

Godric glared at Cat. “I know those formulas backward and forward; it’s not a difficult spell. Just because I have no ability does not make it a difficult spell.”

‘And you’ve never successfully cast anything other than Barrier before,’ Cat said, looking at him quietly.

Godric didn’t respond, entering his room and pulling out his satchel of materials, beginning to rapidly sort through them.

Godric didn’t pause as he felt someone walking towards his room. They didn’t knock; they just opened it, looking at him with narrowed golden eyes. “So?” Ethel arched a brow.

“You’re not coming,” Godric shook his head, hearing her question before she even asked.

Ethel smiled a warm, sweet thing that wanted to burn him alive. “I'll tell Deir right now,” she said simply.

Godric crossed his arms, frowning. “Deir’s still meeting with the Council,” Ethel raised an eyebrow, “and you won’t,” he shook his head. “Because you know I’m that Dragon’s best chance,” he turned back to his pouch, strapping it carefully to his thigh, softly shuffling a collection of vials filled with his father’s bone powder within with his fingertips.

“I will,” Ethel smiled just as pleasantly, “Because if you think I’m going to let you be a hero and risk your life without me, you need to understand the first thing I’m going to do is burn this building down to make everybody aware just what you’re trying to do.”

Godric stopped fiddling with another couple of vials of carefully powdered Dayshade, gathered with the aid of Skadi not so long ago.

He looked at Ethel, assessing, trying to understand that smile; would she?

Ethel’s eyes flickered down at the vials he was holding; her golden eyes gleamed.

Root’s suffocate him.

-

Ethel followed behind Godric, having to walk a bit faster to keep up with his sweeping strides. Momentarily she appreciated how the people still out and about fled like a wave before him and not just because he was physically imposing.

She could smell it, the magic bleeding off of him, protection warped to something aggressive.

He was fucking pissed.

Idly, Ethel rubbed her stomach, feeling the heat gathering beneath her fingertips, and she knew her pupils had slit again as she followed after Godric.

This was Godric Lux, the boy who glared back at Haven and spat in its face anytime anyone tried to push him down.

She grimaced as she felt her cheeks heating unwillingly and was thankful that she didn’t have to meet Godric’s eyes because she knew she’d be a blushing mess.

Their boots echoed off the stone as they finally arrived at the outskirts, brushing by some babbling fools who stiffened and held their rifles close to their chests as they passed, as if those sticks would help them in any way.

Stepping out onto the road, Godric turned to her with a raised eyebrow, opening his mouth, evidently feeling the need to say something stupid.

“You’ll be carrying me, obviously,” Ethel crossed her arms, willing the darkness around her to be dark enough to prevent the red on her cheeks from standing out, even if she was also aware Godric didn’t need much light to see.

Godric frowned, closed his mouth, and then opened it again.

Ethel rolled her eyes placing her finger up against his lips, restraining a shiver as she pressed against a slightly chafed soft warmth, “I can’t run as fast as you, we need to get there as soon as possible, not a single person is going to see us together so you don’t have to worry about protecting me,” she smiled sweetly at the love of all her lives and Godric looked away, his silver eyes unwilling to meet hers, she waited a couple of moments still seeing the indecision in his eyes, “Or I go back and tell everyone where you went,” she shrugged pasting on an easy smile even as her nails bit into her palms.

Slowly, almost hesitantly, he nodded.

Ethel restrained her shock, even after all that she hadn’t expected Godric to agree so quickly.

Immediately, Ethel moved, stepping around to his back before he could rethink his decision, and her stomach dropped as she realized what she had gotten herself into. Her face burning, she was sure a rather brilliant red that Godric would have noticed if he could see her, and she was thus thankful she was behind him.

She jumped onto his back, and Godric caught her easily as she locked her arms around his neck, unable to resist the urge to bury her face into his back, taking a long, deep sniff; Godric’s scent pounding through her and making everything a warm, hazy blur.

She had missed this.

“Don’t get any funny ideas,” she bit out, “I haven’t come even close to forgiving you.”

Godric nodded his head, “You know I wouldn’t do that, Ethel,” he said back, his voice rumbling through her.

Ethel bit back the words ‘Why not?’ and then looked into the darkness, clear as day to her eyes, taking a long, deep sniff searching for the familiar.

A long moment passed before she nodded to herself, “She’s a long way from here; my guess is she’s made a cave following instinct. Just follow my lead, head East.”

Godric nodded his head, and then she felt his body tense before his boots bit into the ground, and they were sent soaring through the air, wind rocketing past them, before they accelerated further as Godric made contact with the ground again, shooting into the air with another massive leap.

Godric kicked off the sand in massive leaps until he hit the rocky face of the cliffside, small barriers of white energy springing out of his boots as she scaled the rocky white cliff with massive kicks, sending them higher into the air before he landed atop the stone and kept running.

They crossed over underbrush into a forest which Godric slipped through with no trouble whatsoever, and Ethel noticed how tree branches bent away from him, roots shifted, and the very ground almost firmed to give him the best path to run.

Ethel buried her face into Godric’s neck and took a deep breath, attempting to focus on the scent of the other dragon, though Godric’s warm scent was truly something that couldn’t be ignored easily.

Still, she had to focus, because it wasn’t only Godric that had driven her here; as an Eld, every one of the Dragons that existed was a responsibility.

She wouldn’t be letting some jumped-up humans with exploding sticks kill one of her own, not when doing so doomed them to the worst fate any Dragon could have.

She frowned and tightened her grip on Godric, pressing herself tightly against him, and felt his back muscles stiffen slightly against her abdomen.

She shifted her arms, and then shifted her torso again, and it didn't help; there was nowhere for her to sit against him that wasn't flattened and entirely too obvious for her heart, and he had to be feeling it; he had to, and he had said nothing at all, and she hated that more than if he'd said something.

Her cheeks heated up again, and a moment of indecision filled her; it was far too forward, improper really, but frustration filled her as she leaned in further and clung tighter to Godric, closing her eyes, focusing on the feel of Godric in her arms for a moment.

It had been eleven years since she could hold him like this, and a part of her ached that she would never know how he had felt in all that time, just as a part of her rejoiced that she could hold him now.

Just as a part of her hurt because of what would happen when Godric finally pushed her away entirely, went somewhere she couldn’t follow- what if he died and she couldn’t take it?

She’d never have him again.

Ethel sucked in a breath, focusing, remembering her Mother’s words, ‘It’s not going to be easy; it’s going to be the hardest thing you’ve ever done, but you were given him as your Heart, and that means something.’

“I thought you wanted to save her,” Ethel snarked, “I know you can run faster.”

Godric hummed something soft, but slightly amused, and his grip tightened on her legs, and then they exploded upward, bouncing off a tree branch with a gentle touch, a white barrier flashing into place for an instant that Godric bounced off of, rocketing faster.

They traveled for tens of minutes uninterrupted, the edge of the forest not even visible on occasion as they occasionally drifted to the top of the tree line. Finally, Ethel spotted the edge, and then seemingly within seconds, they had broken through the trees, landing on a field of massive rocks, a cloud of dust erupting from the ground as Godric landed.

They were in a field of massive brown stone, shaped and broken by green magic long ago, from the sensation that Ethel felt when she touched upon her own red magic; the echoes of shifting and breaking of the stone echoing through the area as the spirits of the elements reflected back to her. Massive wooden constructions were built attached to equally large metal drills in what was an obviously man-made canyon.

“They have a mine out here?” Godric asked, confused, though he didn’t slow down, bouncing over the light brownish red stone with easy steps as he continued forward.

“Abandoned,” Ethel commented, observing the red rust crawling up the metal structures and the wooden pillars that had begun to sag, though she would have known that as well from the old echoes.

Her eyes flicked down into the cavern below, taking a sniff before turning her attention to the small hills of stone in the distance, other similar mining structures rapidly being cataloged in her mind.

“That way,” Ethel jabbed a finger a little to the left of them, and Godric nodded before adjusting his trajectory, picking up the pace as he was no longer impeded by trees.

Ethel frowned as her nose twitched again; something was bothering her. The scent was almost too uniform in the area they were traversing; there should be eddies and pockets of the scent. It was almost as if-

“Jump,” Ethel said calmly.

Godric braced his legs for a second before they rocketed into the sky suddenly far higher than the trees they had gone through or indeed any structures around them.

A massive stone brown jaw shot up where they once were, followed by a massive dark brown lizard-like head, equally sized spikes speared off the back of its neck that soared high into the sky. Though not so high to free its body from where it had been hiding, gleaming slitted golden eyes glared at them in seething anger.

“Green mage,” Godric remarked, stepping down with one foot, landing on a small circular plane of flickering white energy as they looked down.

“Mmm,” Ethel hummed, “What do we have to do to soothe it?”

Godric grimaced, holding a hand out as a flickering white symbol spun into the sky even as he grabbed a vial from his pouch of what looked like white dust.

He spoke a single cooing sound, and Ethel was struck for the moment as if she had just been hugged by her Mother after another long day and buried within her warmth as she stroked her hair.

Ethel nearly flinched back just from the sheer strength of the smell of the magic as Godric flicked the top off and the dust erupted in a swirl of white motes of energy.

The symbol flashed, and the entire night air lit up momentarily, and the golden eyes narrowed against the light. The dragon halted, its head drifting down for a moment, a long, low, heavy droop, the magic bleeding off her, relaxing to Ethel’s senses.

Then the Dragon snarled a loud echoing sound that ripped through the air and opened its mouth, and its throat lit up a high-pitched whine echoing through the air, before it exploded outward, a massive pillar of fire erupted, searing through the air toward them.

Ethel didn’t flinch as Godric merely held out his athame, his barrier blade expanding in a complete sphere around them.

The flame licked over the white energy, and Godric frowned, looking back at Ethel, who spoke quietly, focused, “She seems to have achieved dual magic from her transformation; by how weak the fire is, I think Red’s the new one.”

Ethel slammed her own athame blade first out into Godric’s barrier, and the flame around them slowed, coiling almost liquidly as it was turned into a massive half-semisphere of flame as Ethel flushed her own magic through Godric’s shield.

“She’s too strong right now,” Godric admitted quietly, “Even with my Dad’s bone powder, I don’t have the strength to seal her anger.”

“Then we’re going to have to get slightly more serious, aren’t we, dummy?” Ethel frowned, her gut clenching at the old form of endearment slipping out after so long.

The dragon’s stream of fire cut off, and then Ethel flicked her athame forward, wrenching forward with her torso and magic, and the flame rocketed a trail of fire and smoke ripping across the sky as it flew with the grace and speed of an artillery shell.

The dragon’s head exploded backward, the humongous neck recoiling at the motion, slamming into the rocks in an explosion of stone, smoking shards flying through the air, some even bouncing off Godric’s shield.

“We have to be careful,” Godric grimaced.

Ethel rolled her eyes in aggravation. “Careful isn’t going to wear her down,” she twisted her knife in Godric’s barrier and grabbed a vial of nightveil, and the wind twisted around them, turning into massive vibrating masses that flew screeching downward, slamming downward and exploding in massive clumps of ice.

It was an absolute storm of frozen water pelting downward, but Ethel grimaced as it began to let up almost immediately. “There’s not enough moisture in the air,” she scowled, “The fire scattered it.”

Godric nodded, and then stored his empty vial before grabbing another one and flicking his athame once. A bright white light flashed, and Ethel saw a crescent of white light fly through the air, her senses already running at high speed, just managing to see it before the ground around the dragon erupted, along with the Dragon being smashed against the earth again.

There was a long moment before the Dragon flicked its neck back up faster than anything of that size should have moved and growled thunderously.

Godric grimaced and shook his head. “I was really hoping that would work better,” he admitted.

Ethel frowned, “I’ve never seen you use one of those on me,” she growled.

Godric blinked, and then his eyes widened, shaking his head, looking horrified. “That’s a Barrier Blade,” he shook his head. “I could never use those on anyone our size; it would obliterate them if it hit.”

“So all this time you’ve been holding back,” Ethel sneered. It felt like her heart was tearing itself in half, her grip on Godric tightening. “Your promise didn’t ever mean anything, did it?”

Godric frowned, shaking his head. “I always mean my promises,” he muttered quietly.

No, he didn’t. Was he lying all this time?

No, she could still prove herself, show him that she was just as strong, prove to him that she could stand at his side.

The Dragon stirred, its head rising up again, magic flickering through its chest as the earth around it began to vibrate.

Ethel ripped herself free of Godric’s grip, and her fist ignited; she didn’t bother using her athame, bending and compressing the flame till it lit up a bright, blinding white as she fell from the sky like a falling star.

She had to prove herself, and Ethel Eld’s mother hadn’t raised a girl who quit.

Ever.

She hit the dragon’s skull, her frame shuddering as she exerted her inhuman strength to first punch the Dragon’s head back, cratering the ground, before she let loose the concussive strike of fire she had charged, sending a flare of heat and light obliterating the earth in a flash, the sound exploding outward like a mortar shell she had seen demonstrated at the Haven Institute.

Ethel took a deep, gasping breath, her energy rapidly beginning to replenish as she sucked in oxygen, but she wasn’t ready for the ground to warp in a massive shimmer of green light shooting upward in massive spikes aiming to impale her.

She flicked her athame down, bending the air as a concussive blast sent her flying through the air, rotating almost out of control, before she grimaced as she bent the wind just enough to right her to come to a stumbling stop skating across the ground.

She really was never the best with controlling air; she let a cocky smile slide across her face, “What could he say to-“

“Dragon!” Godric cried out, and Ethel immediately instinctually tried to move before she felt something cold and hard pierce through her stomach, a strange sliding sensation before pain ripped through her.

Ethel looked down, letting out a surprised cough, to see the ground bent out in a rocky spike through her.

Dimly she felt Godric land next to her and his voice suddenly in her ears, the stoic deep tone, pitched higher, something strange to it; silver eyes looked at her in horror, and she could see panicked shimmering in them, the beginning of horrified tears.

Ethel felt herself reaching up and straining a smile onto her face at him, coughing slightly, feeling something dribble between her lips; she didn’t think it would happen like that.

Her Mom was going to be pissed.

But it was okay; maybe in her next life Godric would love her.

The world flashed white.

-

Godric didn’t know what had happened; his hands had reached out to grab her, his mind had gone blank, and now he was seemingly on the ground holding Ethel to his chest, his left palm pressed over the pale, scar-free flesh of her stomach, the torn cloth on the sides still soaked in crimson.

“Godric!” he turned at the sound of Cat’s voice, who was looking up at him with wide crimson eyes. “Godric, you need to come back to me!”

Godric looked at Cat again, confused, and then turned to see his right palm, his athame, stabbed into the ground, bending a small, concentrated barrier around them.

Godric looked back to Ethel’s stomach, and his eyes began to burn again; she was safe, whole, and then his eyes widened as he felt a pair of teeth sink into his shoulder.

He looked down and saw Ethel, for seemingly no good reason, had bitten him and was scowling at him, worry clear in her eyes. “Godric, are you there?”

Slowly, Godric nodded. “You’re,” he hesitated. “You’re okay,” he said quietly.

Ethel looked down. “You healed me,” she said quietly, shaking her head. “How did you heal me?”

Godric shook his head numbly; he didn’t know, and honestly he didn’t really care. “You’re okay,” he repeated quietly.

Ethel nodded her head slowly before looking back toward the barrier. “She’s been trying to get through for a while now,” she remarked.

Godric turned to see a sea of molten rock outside, flames having been poured over his still-holding barrier, and it was only now he felt the strain of holding it and all the heat back, and he released a gasp, grimacing, shaking his head, “How are we going to get out?”

Another stream of fire hit them, and now that Godric was paying attention, he felt his strength drain again from the pure force pumped through the elemental red magic.

Ethel looked down at her stomach again, and something changed in her eyes, and she looked up at him.

“Kiss me,” she said quietly, her golden eyes looking at him with an indescribably soft expression.

“What?” Godric said, blinking.

“Kiss me.” Ethel’s eyes narrowed.

“What?” Godric shook his head, knowing now he couldn’t have heard that right.

“Kiss me!” Ethel shouted, anger clear on her face; golden eyes glaring at Godric with wide slitted pupils.

“What?” Godric looked at the girl, wondering what on the Continent had made her decide to say this now while they were about to die.

Okay, maybe that was it.

Godric reached out, pulling the girl in by her waist, and she released a loud, shocked breath as they were suddenly pressing chest to chest, and Godric had to consciously push away just how soft and warm she felt against him as he bent down and pressed his lips to Ethel’s mouth softly.

Ethel shivered against him, and he felt her hands settle softly on his pectoral muscles.

Then the world shivered, and Godric found himself on a massive, sinewy, red-scaled back. He looked up at the head and saw a massive crimson reptilian head, though one still dwarfed by their green opponent; the green dragon’s head reared back, its massive reptilian eyes widened.

‘-,’ Ethel’s presence made itself known quietly in his mind.

“Ethel,” Godric said aloud as he began to piece himself together, something like certainty going through his mind, “You need to get me above her; can you do that?”

A warm nudge, a gentle brush of scales against his mind, and then they shot into the air, clearing the space between them and their opponents in a single sinewy flap of wide wings.

Ethel’s long serpent-like form slammed into her opponent’s with the sheer force of the charge and perhaps the damage they had already done, allowing Ethel for the moment to pin the green dragon, her talons slamming its limbs down in explosions of stone.

Godric grabbed another of his Father’s vials of bone powder and ignited it with his magic, feeling the unnatural strength running through him, searing his veins as his blood quickened and he spoke, letting a new and unusual feeling out.

He gritted his teeth; it hurt- it really hurt- it burned his gut and made his throat ache, but the symbol he had drawn flashed, and suddenly he could feel the other Dragon’s mind, and he almost drowned.

Rage, everlasting rage. Burning in his gut. He had been taken from her; he was everything; he had been taken-

“I know,” Godric gritted out, holding a hand to his head, trying to steady himself, “I know.

“Who dares-“

“You’ll lose him,” Godric bit out, “Unless you stop, you’ll lose him forever.”

For a moment the rage ebbed before it surged again, and Godric cried out, grabbing his head as the rage bore down on him, pain searing through him.

Still he continued, “Anger won’t bring him back,” he spat out, “But if you don’t revert, your soul will be destroyed, and you’ll lose him forever.”

The rage stopped, anger still burning, but now it was examining him, something like a question flickering through their connection.

Godric took a deep breath, forcing himself to stand up straight, looking up at the dragon. “A Dragon’s Heart is always with them; the Tree chose them for you; they won’t let you down.”

For a moment there was absolute stillness, and Godric allowed himself a brief moment to hope, completely unlike him but-

The Dragon reared up, and the rage resurged and-

‘Stop it,’ Ethel’s voice came out quietly in his mind, but the Dragon immediately froze, looking at the red form of her opponent.

‘I know it hurts.’ Ethel said just as quietly, ‘But if your Heart loved you the way mine does, he wouldn’t want you to destroy yourself for revenge; it wouldn’t mean anything if he didn’t have you.’

The green dragon’s mind strained for a moment before it began to relax, the fire of anger becoming darkening pools of soul-aching grief, slowly being soothed by something too bittersweet to name.

The dragon collapsed to the ground, looking at them for a moment, before her golden eyes closed and her body suddenly was that of a black-haired, green-eyed woman, wearing a soft green dress. She smiled at them, something soft but almost thankful, if not for the pain in it, before her body shimmered out of existence in a current of green light trailing into the air.

Godric stared numbly at the spot. “She’s dead,” Godric said quietly. “We soothed her, but she’s dead.”

The world shivered again, and then he felt Ethel’s hand softly snake onto his shoulder, and she tugged at him, and he turned around to face her silver meeting gold.

“It’s better that way,” she said, smiling sadly, shaking her head. “She’ll get to see him sooner.”

Godric scowled, shaking his head. “We were trying to save her, Ethel.”

Ethel shook her head. “She was saved; just because you soothed her pain doesn’t mean she can live with the grief.”

“I thought-“ Godric hesitated, not sure what to say other than it wasn’t right and it wasn’t fair.

Ethel shook her head, “I don’t know any Dragon who would be willing to live without her Heart,” she said softly, looking away from him.

And Godric finally understood, “I’m sorry.” It wasn’t enough; it really wasn’t enough. “I’m so sorry, I wanted to protect you-“

Ethel placed a finger up to his lips, smiling her old familiar smile at him, the one he had taken from her, “It doesn’t matter, I’d never let you run away.”

She pitched forward suddenly and Godric’s arms shot to grasp around her, holding her up.

Ethel shivered in his grip. “I can’t move my body,” she observed with the air of someone who had realized they had overpaid by a silver and only just now when they had gotten home.

Godric took a breath, centering himself, and then picked her up, swinging an arm beneath her knees and letting her head settle against his chest.

With careful steps, he began to pace the rocky ground back the way they had come, though he didn’t run, worried the motion would be too much for Ethel right now, letting a flicker of his magic run over her in an unfamiliar manner, ignoring the ache it ignited in him.

She was fine, healthy, just tired.

They walked for some time in a silence that stretched for more reasons than he could really think of right now, especially with how tired his mind felt.

“Our Circle’s other members-“

Godric cut Ethel off quickly, not able to have this discussion right now, “I know Dragon-“

“Brute,” Ethel muttered, butting her head against Godric’s chest softly, though not for lack of effort on her part, “I was going to say I know they want something from you.”

Godric smiled, though it didn’t feel entirely forced, strangely enough. “I know, Dragon.”

“Mmmm,” Ethel hummed, “Did your dad tell you?”

“He helped,” Godric shrugged, though he made sure not to shift her.

Ethel leaned her head against Godric’s chest, and Godric felt her almost fiery warmth press against him.

“Mom told me,” she admitted, shaking her head, “I’m not good-“ she hesitated looking up at Godric, “at figuring this stuff out on my own,” she hesitated before shaking her head, “You probably knew that,” she giggled quietly, a soft almost chiming sound that was entirely unlike her and it reminded Godric of the dopey warm smile of the girl he had known.

Though as Godric thought about the day he realized that he still needed to say something in response, “I’m not either,” he said quietly, hesitating a moment even as the freshly torn wound of magic flowing through his chest egged him onward, “You really scared me today,” he said quietly.

Ethel frowned, her expression strained and awkward as her eyes flitted away. “You scared me, dummy,” she mumbled, butting her head against him again.

Godric couldn’t help but chuckle; he wasn't able to laugh, but the move was just so uniquely Ethel that he couldn’t help the surge of warmth in his chest.

A long moment of silence passed, and Godric saw the furrowing of her brow indicating she was about to ask something difficult for her. “Your promise,” she said quietly, “Were you going to keep it?”

Words between a sobbing blonde-headed girl and an impassive white-haired boy flickered through his mind.

‘When you’re strong enough to beat me, then you can stand by my side.’

Godric grimaced, “I-“ he hesitated, knowing he had to be honest that the pain in his chest would close again if he wasn’t, “I don’t know, you were everything to that boy Ethel, he didn’t have anything else and he didn’t want to lose you,” he shook his head, “I think he would have said anything to keep you safe,” he admitted quietly.

“I wasn’t, though,” Ethel said quietly, staring up at him with solemn golden eyes, “Safe.”

Godric nodded, “You weren’t, I was-“ he released a deep breath, “I was wrong, Ethel, I’m sorry.”

Ethel hummed, the vibration traveling through his chest, but she didn’t say anything for a long moment, just letting her head lean against his chest. The quiet stretched, but it wasn’t really uneasy, more the quiet they had before.

“How much trouble do you think we’re going to be in?” he asked curiously.

Ethel grinned, her eyes flashing. “It’s how much trouble you’re going to be in; I was just trying to keep you safe.”

Godric winced. “Fair,” he admitted before shaking his head. “But like what could she do to me?” he asked, almost curious despite himself.

A low rumble went through Ethel’s torso, and he saw her eyes become slits for a moment, before Godric softly stroked his hand down her arm and she settled slightly.

“Nothing if she knows what’s good for her,” Ethel mumbled, burying her face in his chest again, causing Godric to look down in surprise.

He opened his mouth to say something only to be cut off.

“You owe me, big time, so just don’t be a dumbass,” Ethel mumbled out sleepily.

Godric closed his mouth and watched as Ethel settled again, her breaths becoming longer and deeper.

A faint smile stirred Godric’s lips, and his magic strained uncomfortably in his chest, but honestly, in that moment, he wouldn’t have had it any other way.

-

Skadi couldn’t sleep, clutching Godric’s stone to her chest; her mind remained unable to be clouded by the fog of sleep, so eventually, after she got tired of alternating between staring at the ceiling and the backs of her eyelids, she rose.

Reaching out to the shadows around her, she sleepily slipped inside of them and reappeared outside in a shadow in the living room, yawning as she walked towards the kitchen.

Her eyes flicked to the couch, and her stomach twisted in disappointment as she saw that Godric hadn’t fallen asleep on it again.

She filled a glass from the sink, idly watching the metal of the faucet dispense liquid drawn from, at least from what she had read, the actual ocean and purified through some magical means.

It could be accomplished by Red Magic and its control over elemental forces, from fire to wind to even lightning. Some kind of purifying could likely be done with magic-generated flame. But Green magic’s ability to shape physical substances, modifying and purifying, molding and contorting earth, the forging of athames, that probably made more sense overall. Certainly it couldn’t be Blue magic, which controlled space itself, physically modifying and warping it at will, unless perhaps the impurities were teleported out? White magic, life and its energy at its most essential, seemed the least likely to be able to accomplish the task.

And Black Magic, her magic, the magic of absence, of nothing, control over the lack of things, slipping through shadows, constructs drawn from the darkness.

The truth was she would have taken any other magic than hers; her magic always felt awful, cold, unfeeling; it reminded her too much of her time in the Under Forest when she had been by herself, after Ilsa had already gotten strong enough to leave.

Skadi sucked in a steadying breath, rubbing her head as it twinged, not liking the sensation in the slightest; she didn’t like those emotions, the deep, heavy ones that moved through her like the massive leviathans that were said to roam the depths of the ocean.

They felt wrong, unkind, not unlike the bursts of anger she felt when she thought about how Godric was treated, but those at least felt justified; this…

She felt the shadows shift behind her as a person stepped up to the house and gently opened the door, moving through the darkness attempting to be quiet though such wouldn’t have been able to escape her senses.

She recognized immediately it was Godric, though he seemed to be carrying someone.

He walked with soft steps down the hallway and then entered out into the space, and dark purple eyes meant silver, which glowed slightly in the darkness.

Skadi glanced down, and she felt her gut clench as she saw that for some reason he was carrying Ethel in his arms, and the girl looked all too comfortable in his grip.

Instantly she pushed the feeling down and noted the dried blood on the girl's stomach visible through a ripped hole in her clothing.

“Is Ethel okay?” Skadi’s words escaped her lips before she had given them much thought, hurrying over, leaving her water cup behind.

Godric nodded, “Yeah she’s tired, but she’s fine.”

Skadi frowned, now standing before them, and looked up at Godric, her brow furrowed as she fiddled with a strand of her deep purple hair, wondering exactly how to say her next words without sounding absolutely terrible.

“You disobeyed Deir,” she said quietly.

Godric nodded his head. “Yeah,” he sighed, “I did; we managed to soothe the dragon, though.” he grimaced and shook his head.

Skadi glanced down again at Ethel’s stomach, noting again the blood but seemingly no wound, and then looked back at Godric.

Had he managed to heal as well? It was the only logical conclusion, but she wasn’t even sure if she should say it out loud. She didn’t want to push. To be too much.

“Um,” she shook her head, refocusing herself, “I don’t think Deir realized you left; I don’t even know if she’s back yet.”

Godric nodded his head and seemed to focus for a moment before he shook his head. “The only other people in here are Ilsa and Tol, and they both seem like they’re asleep,” he chuckled wryly, but there was something strangely warm in his voice Skadi hadn’t heard before, “Which I guess should be expected; it is pretty late.”

A soft groan disturbed their conversation, and Skadi’s eyes flickered to Ethel, who was stirring in Godric’s grip, golden eyes fluttering open. “We’re back?” she mumbled sleepily.

“We are,” Godric said softly, “I’m going to get you to your room in a couple of minutes.”

“Nope,” Ethel mumbled out, “Fuck you, you owe me, I get you and your bed.” She blinked several times sleepily before it seemed she nodded off again.

Skadi stared at the girl in shock before looking up at Godric, whose cheeks were a bit red, though he had a resigned look. Skadi looked at him with a raised eyebrow, and he shook his head. “I kind of actually do owe her,” he said.

Skadi’s cheeks flushed brilliantly as all the lessons that Deir had taught her went through her head even as she shook her head rapidly. “But, um, you can’t,” she continued shaking her head, “It’s improper,” she stared up at him imploringly.

Godric nodded his head. “It is,” he said, “But I kind of just got back on her good side, and I don’t want her blowing anything up tomorrow when she wakes up in her own bed because it’s already going to be a long enough conversation with First Home’s Council.”

A small dismayed sound emerged from Skadi’s throat as she looked at him, clutching a hand tightly over Godric’s stone as she stared at him, befuddled, as he walked past her heading in the direction of his room.

Wildly, a thought crossed her mind.

She would shout recklessly after him, saying she would also sleep with him so nothing improper happened.

Even at the thought, her cheeks colored even deeper red, so all she could do was wait till he was out of sight before she sank to her knees with a keening whine, pressing her hands to her flushed face.

It was just so improper!

Her gut twisted as her mind calmed down and the shadows thickened about her; it wasn’t like that; she knew it wasn’t like that- but what if Ethel, after all this time, was going to come in and take Godric from her?

The boy she had watched for as long as she had resided in the side of Haven that saw actual sunlight.

What would Skadi do if that happened?