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Fuan's Arc: Chapter 06
The smell of the Demon's blood had wafted so strongly into the halls that it called him easily back from the abyss he'd nearly drowned in. Without any thought given, the Angel attempted to rise only to have a ragged cry spill into the air as the unyielding and excruciating pain of his injuries shot through every raw nerve. Fire tore into his lithe frame as he crumpled back onto the plush surface beneath his body, shaking hands reaching desperately up to find a gaping wound that spanned the entire length of his torso, instantly soaked in blood the moment they touched.
Confusion strong and overwhelming shifted through his muddied mind as nausea threatened to overtake him. Even as the blackness rose up once more he scrambled to gather his thoughts, fighting to remain surfaced as he mustered what little will he had to close the lengthy gap.
Through gritted teeth as his body slowly became whole again, light silver eyes shut against the pain and his vision blurred even behind closed lids. The scents in the air were overwhelming and the smell of his own blood alone was enough to make him wretch. The Angel's breaths came in short wisps, every nerve screaming while his broken frame repaired itself, so loud that he could barely concentrate on the task itself.
As he lay pathetically still while he healed, he tried hard to recall exactly how he'd managed to find himself where he currently was. But the world was spinning dangerously out of control and the pain more than enough to keep the memories from returning immediately to his mind. He'd been careless, he does remember that. Over the weeks prior; his usage of the Old Magick needed for the containment seal had been wearing on him. His body wasn't accustomed to the effort of using the stronger spells continuously and in turn he'd been tiring so easily. Then accompanied by the fact that he'd gotten so little sleep in the nights that followed as he worked to keep the white haired Demon alive… it had finally caught up to him, it appears. When he and his brother had chanced upon that group of Lowers invading the Borders, his body had unfortunately chosen then to give way. The creature he'd been fighting had been weak and he was shamed to know that it had gotten the better of him, something that would never have happened under normal circumstances. And now… now he's found himself back in his home with a wound that most likely would have killed him had he not woken long enough to heal it while the scent he'd been sacrificing so much to contain is somehow loose.
His flesh finally whole, Fuan slumped down heavily, the exertion weighing on him more than he'd care to admit. His breathing was shallow and he felt so weak that for many long moments it seemed as if the blackness of sleep would claim him again. But through the haze that continued to shift within as he worked to recover, another scent began to carry along with the first.
It was his brother, a scent he knew as well as his own, there commingled with that Demon's.
"No!" he cried out as silver eyes snapped open immediately before he twisted his lithe body to the side and pulled himself up, springing quickly to his feet.
With no further thought lent to his state, Fuan darted down the great halls of his home, running as fast as his legs would carry him towards his room, the creature he'd been harboring as well as the one he knows to be near. It took nearly everything he had to keep his body going as he tore down sun drenched marble, the amount of blood loss dizzying but the dire urgency of the situation keeping him going just the same. He wasn't even sure how long he'd been out and he had no time to wonder because if Fanuel was there he knew that Demon would not be for much longer.
He had not spent all this time sacrificing himself to keep that creature living simply to have him taken away now.
Standing statuesque just beyond the threshold of his brother's room, there were a few moments that Fanuel found that he couldn't look away from the white haired figure lying unconscious on the bed. He'd never seen anything like it. The creature's skin was laced with nasty cuts and bruises; each laceration accompanied by a shadowing of black veins that snaked around the wounds like vines, all serving to contrast harshly against his sheet white skin and stark snow colored hair. He couldn't tell exactly what it was by scent alone as the blood smelled oddly tainted –and while it seemed vaguely Demonic it was also so far removed that it almost couldn't be. The color of its hair was something that should indicate a Higher being, he knew by smell alone that it definitely wasn't an Angel either. Whatever it was though, the mixture of taint in its blood was more than enough to sicken him and it took little time for Fanuel to surmise that it had to be an abomination in need of disposal. With the decision made in that instant he snapped himself free of his initial shock, only a slight shaking of his head given before his weapon was quickly raised for the kill.
"Brother no!" The sudden sound of Fuan's voice echoed throughout the halls from beyond the opened doorway behind him, only halting his movements for a moment and causing the younger to start. "Stop!!"
Fanuel spun around just in time to see his brother spill into the room, his twin blades summoned swiftly into his hands. Fuan's motions were a blur as he dipped beneath him, turning quickly to swing both swords up in order to block his glaive, the sound of their weapons making contact reverberating loudly throughout the room. Before Fanuel could even react to the blow the other Angel crossed his swords and circled them, twisting his lithe frame along with them before he pushed back, the force of the movement sending the younger man stumbling backwards.
"What are you doing?!" the surprised Angel cried out as he caught his footing, coming to a halt only a few steps away.
Fuan was breathing too hard to answer, the flight towards his room and the weakness he felt taking practically all of his energy to simply hold his swords up before him while he stood crouched over, blocking the other Angel's path to the Demon lying behind.
[Drop your weapon brother] he managed after a few tense moments of near silence, his hands clenching tighter around the weapons he held.
"You tell me what in the hell that filth is doing here!" Fanuel demanded angrily as he took a step forward, his glaive pointed towards the unconscious man.
The older Angel's only answer was a reaction, no thought given to his actions as he sprung towards his brother and struck hard to knock the scrollwork weapon from his hands. As his glaive skittered across the marble, Fanuel only managed a partial turn back before he was kicked in the chest, the blow knocking him flat onto the cold floor below. In one fluid twist and a single breath stopping moment Fuan spun again, crossing his swords before he thrust them at his brother's head.
It was almost surreal, as if the world had suddenly slowed and every movement began to play out in perfect clarity despite his complete inability to react. Fanuel had witnessed Fuan in battle many times and it never ceased to amaze him when he caught moments to watch his brother fight. He had a terrifying beauty to him when in action that he practically worshiped. He'd find himself riveted more often than not, and if he were able to watch the other Angel move until time stopped, he would. He never once thought though, that he'd be on the receiving end. Never once did he think his brother would turn that deadly beauty against him. In all of his years, there had never been a moment he'd even lent the possibility a single solitary thought.
So as he lies helpless on the floor with the older Angel's swords crossed over his neck staring up into crazed light silver eyes, he finds that for the first time in his life he's being forced to feel something he's not once felt until now.
Fear. Pure and unbridled for what's about to come.
"Are you fucking insane?!" Fanuel cried out desperately, unable to stop the subtle tremor that had overtaken his lean frame as cold steel bit harshly into his flesh, "What the hell is the matter with you??"
Fuan did nothing but shake as he maintained his grip on his swords, the rush of anger and panic he'd felt for the safety of his charge that had caused him to snap in the first place was quickly draining to leave him with the realization of what he was doing. He stared down into his brother's eyes, the twisted face of himself reflected back through wide pupils. In one terrifying moment he saw himself end it all, take one life he knew to save another he did not. He watched himself cross his swords and pull back. He saw Fanuel's head, contorted in shock and pain, come clean from a neck that mirrored his very own.
With sudden gasp, the Angel let his weapons go and stumbled backwards even as they faded from view. His hand was brought to his bloodied tunic and he crumpled onto the marble tile below, overwhelmed while tears brimmed despite his best efforts to keep his emotions in check. He had come so close, by only a hairs width he'd nearly snapped and killed his brother -his own flesh and blood, a mirror image of himself. Fanuel was the only one who resided in the Heavens that he could possibly love and in that instant, his own hands had nearly taken him away.
It frightened him to know what he'd almost done; deep down in his core it frightened him so terribly to know he'd been willing to sacrifice his brother's life for a creature he knows nothing about. Even more frightening to him was to find that had he done it, at least in that very instant, he would have had no regret…
Shaking hands rose up to cup Fuan's beautiful face, a loud sob wracking his lithe frame as he curled forward, both disgusted and ashamed of himself for what he'd almost done.
Fanuel could only stare at his brother as he watched him break down before his very eyes while he worked to push his body away from the floor he'd been pinned against. Tapered fingers slipped up to his neck and he wiped absently at the blood there, taking a few seconds to concentrate on closing the torn flesh. His heart raced and he found himself at a complete loss, unsure of what he should do. He'd never seen the other man so…defeated, not ever. His brother had always been the strong one, the one who never lost his composure, the one who stood regal and proud no matter the situation so seeing him looking so frail and broken was something entirely new.
What could have possibly caused this…?
But as the younger Angel finally managed to pull himself completely up, his light silver gaze slid over towards the white haired creature and he found he had a suspicion that he knew very well. Taking a few tentative steps forward, he knelt down and slipped his hand up, hesitating for only a moment before he touched in long silver strands. With the smallest of movements Fuan turned towards his brother and buried his face against his chest, toned arms wrapped carefully around him in response. Despite the confusing trauma and the state the older Angel was in, Fanuel couldn't help the smile that formed on his lips at the reaction, happy for being allowed to hold Fuan for the first time in far too many years.
"I am... so sorry…" the older Angel whispered after he'd begun to calm, finally able to find his voice again.
Fanuel smiled and shook his head only a little, his fingers continuing a slow comforting stroke in his brother's hair, "There's… nothing to be sorry for," he tried quietly as he attempted to sound more casual about it than he truly felt, "It was confusion, you were hurt pretty fucking bad so you didn't know what you were doing for a moment there… right?" Though while he'd like to believe that's the truth of the matter, as he recalled the look on Fuan's face, he couldn't help wondering deep down if it actually was.
Fuan could only nod his head a little in answer because he couldn't bring himself to say out loud that he'd come closer to killing his brother than he ever would have dreamed possible. How could he explain the reasons behind his actions to Fanuel when he didn't even understand them himself? As he remained in the younger man's grasp in near silence while he struggled with his thoughts, the smell of the Demon's blood snapped him back to a reality he'd momentarily lost.
"No!" he whispered and looked suddenly up, meeting dark silver eyes with his lighter own "the seal!"
Without thought, Fuan tore himself from Fanuel's grasp and practically flew towards the doors of his room, tapered fingers slipping up to slam them swiftly shut. He closed his eyes and recalled the binding spell that had been broken, only daring to breathe again when the imprints of the complex magic had begun to sink into the walls once more.
He felt near faint from the effort and fell towards the heavy wood in a single dizzying moment, a hand flying out to make a successful catch. The earlier blood loss combined with the new usage of the Old Magick racked across his lithe frame harshly and he had to fight in order to stay conscious while a haze swept over him again. He dropped his head forward and took slow deliberate breaths in an attempt to calm his body while he prayed silently that the seal hadn't been out of place for very long.
"Fuan…" Fanuel started as he finally rose up behind him, his brows furrowed in confusion. "You need to tell me what the fuck is going on right now."
The older Angel sighed, taking a few moments longer to collect himself before he lifted his head and turned to face his brother. His light silver gaze slipped away for only a moment, shifting towards the sleeping form in his bed before moving back. With a shaky intake of air and a slight clenching of his fists, Fuan spoke quietly again.
"I …need your help …"