Chapter Text
“LEAVE IT, LEAVE THE EQUIPMENT TO ME AND HEAD BACK TO THE MIRROR CHAMBER” Vargas bellowed over the howls of the raging storm and panicking students. His black hair was undone, having no time to tie it back after being startled awake by the screams of students.
Those very students skittering for cover like bugs after the rock was yanked off of them.
A storm like no other chose this very night to come crashing down on the island with a vengeance. The winds screamed through the trees. Uprooting those that grew on too soft a soil, and ripping branches down onto the students below. Rain pelted down like stones, stinging the skin of whoever it hit. The pitch dark night having flashes of blinding light disorienting the NRC students as lightning cracked through the sky. Followed by the deafening booms of thunder so strong you could feel your ribcage tremor under his weight.
Riddle narrowly managed to drag a freshman out of a tent before it got crushed by a small tree.
“Go!” Riddle pointed towards Vargas, and the student went running, thanking him profusely. It was utter chaos, but he refused to run back to the school until he was sure all of his fellow students were well on their way to safety
He slammed to a stop, sidestepping out of the way of a tent that hadn’t been properly pinned down as it went rolling by like a tumble weed.
“Help!”
Riddle whipped around in search of the plea, finally landing on a Scarabian student off in the distance. It seems he was one of the unfortunate students who decided to camp near the river. At the time it was a harmless idea, but now the river was flooded. Spilling up over its bank line to sweep away any and all things along its shore. Including students. The students hands flailing in the air as he reached out for the shoreline.
The red heads feet moved before he could even agree to run to the students aid. Sliding down the decline to the rivers edge. Careful to not run so recklessly as to slip on the slick grass and end up in the same predicament as the Scarabian.
“Grab on!! I’ll pull you back!” Riddle near screamed, manifesting a rope made of vine and plant matter from the nearby foliage. He tossed it out, and on the first try the students hands snapped on.
It was not easy, the river was rushing with such ferocity it nearly pulled the very rope out of Riddles hands. But he wrapped it about a nearby tree that had yet to fall for extra security and pulled with all his might. The heels of his feet digging into the soft mud.
Inch by inch, he grew closer until finally the student was practically an arms length away. Riddle outstretched his hand, leaning as far forward as he dared, grabbing the students hand and pulling him up and out of the water.
“Are you okay!” Riddle yelled, grabbing the student by his arms and guiding him further away from the river as he looked him over for injuries. He had a few scrapes, but that was the worst of it.
“I- I’m okay!” The student yelled back.
“Then go to Coach Vargas!” Riddle pointed in the general direction he last saw the PE teacher, letting fo of the students arms to instead swipe his own bangs out of his eyes. The water plastering them to his forehead.
The student nodded shakily, his hands trembling.
Riddle turned back to walk up to incline, but the grass and mud mixing together to make it near impossible to pull himself back up the edge. With deliberate steps he made it halfway up the slick incline. But, just as his foot was raised for its next step, the wind made a sudden sharp change in direction. The rain now no longer beating his back but whipping into his face as the wind blew against them at full force.
That change in force was just enough to throw Riddles balance off, and suddenly all he could do was yelp in surprise when there was a sudden absence of squishy mud beneath his feet as they flew out from under him. His hands flailed out for purchase, but was met only with thin air.
On any normal day, when students would first wade into the river, it was a languid lazy ripple that allowed them to fish as Vargas instructed. But the lazy river was now gone. Replaced with ripping strength that could pull your feet right out under you.
Before he could even process a spell to catch himself, his head was submerged in water. The booming chaos surrounding him muffled by the frigid water stabbing his skin. Nearly losing the air trapped in his lungs as his back bounced off the rocky river bottom.
The water was quick to snag and rip at him, dragging him away and refusing to give him even a moment to catch his footing as his limbs were yanked around him. Helplessly tossing him around like a spinning top until the disorientation made it impossible for him to tell up from down.
Finally after what felt like an eternity of spinning, he broke the water surface, gasping out for air as his arms continued to flail in an effort to keep him afloat against the downward pull of the river.
He blinked rapidly to try and clear the blasted water from his eyes, utterly stunned to see that in the split moment he struggled under water he had already been carried downstream. The scarabian student merely the size of his pinky finger and rapidly getting smaller.
The student screamed something, but Riddle couldn’t hear what, the Scarabian stumbling in his direction but not daring to get too close to the river.
“Hel-” another gush of water washed over him, the disgusting taste of silt and dirty water filling his mouth. Losing sight of the student as the water grabbed at his legs and once more tried to sink him down into its murky depth to join the fish.
The Scarabian held his breath, praying Riddle resurfaced as he frantically looked about for some way to help, to do anything except watch as Riddle drifted away!
“What happened?!”
The students head whipped over to find non other than Azul Ashengrotto standing besides him. His light purple hair being forced off of his forehead by the blowing wind, Azul whipping the water from his glasses as his eyes scanned the water in front of them.
The Scarabian shakily pointed with jumping nerves to the increasingly distant red tuft of hair being raced down the river. Bobbing like an apple as he was tossed from side to side, disappearing for a moment only to come bouncing back up with a sputtering gasp.
“He-he pulled me out of the water but he got swept in and-” the student stuttered, his nervous rambling stopping with a snap of his jaw as Azuls outdoor jacket came slamming into his chest, knocking the air out of him. He looked at Azul in confusion, but Azuls glasses were already off and being roughly forced into the students hand.
“Lose those, and I will make sure you work at the Mostro Lounge until you have paid for their replacement. With interest!” Azul pointed accusingly, before pivoting back around to face the river.
He dived in without so much as a second thought, utilizing the storm fueled rush of water to propel himself forward and in the direction he had last seen Riddles signature red hair.
Swimming through this was easy compared to the rough nights in the Coral Sea. However, unlike the coral sea, the churning of the river had kicked up all of the silt and dirt that had settled on the river bed, filling the water with murk. Making it hard to see anything other than his own hands in front of his face.
Azul narrowly missed swimming straight into a large chunk of driftwood that was hidden by the dark water, barrel rolling to the side before his head went ramming into it wooden surface. More rushing by him, stick, downed branches, and boulder all came shooting in and out of his view. Yet, still no Riddle.
Time seemed to run by just as fast as the river flowed, and yet, there was not even a glimpse of Riddle. He was already so far ahead when Azul leapt in, and honestly Azul was beginning to worry he might have lost track of him. Or maybe even passed him by without knowing it.
Finally after peeking both in and out of the water repeatedly, Azul just barely spotted Riddles hand swatting through the water. Finally!
Azul came barreling in like a torpedo, slamming into Riddles side and wrapping his arms around his torso. Heaving up so they could surface. Riddle fought back at first purely on instinct, kicking and pushing against Azuls grasp as he immediately assumed something in the water had smashed into him.
“Riddle, RIDDLE, stop kicking me!” Azul spat as he pulled them up to once more breath air. Having to repeatedly adjust his hands to keep his grip from slipping as Riddle wriggled in his hold.
“Azul?!” Riddle spluttered, his hands swiping away the water and hair in his face and eyes.
“Yes, me, now stop kicking me!” Azuls head whipped around as he tried to find the shoreline. Under water, his eyesight was superb. But on land he was not so fortunate. He was stuck with nearsighted vision. So now that he was above water, the world had once more fallen to a simple blur of fuzzy colors. And he couldn’t exactly dip back below the water until he found the shoreline himself, not unless he was willing to drown Riddle with him. Which would be rather counter intuitive.
Luckily, the dark greens of the trees and the black of the storm clouds were a stark contrast to the light murky color of the river water. That’s all the difference he needed.
“Hold on” He warned, before he kicked towards what he hoped were trees. Making quick work of the distance.
Riddle, now that he wasn’t struggling to keep himself afloat, tossed his hands out towards the branches of a tree near the river. Using magic to bend it down to his hands.
“Grab on!” Riddle held on to Azul with one arm as he waited for the octopus to grab onto the branch. Letting him go once Azul had both hands on the tree branch and grabbing onto the branch fully himself.
They shimmied up the branch until finally their feet touched solid ground, clambering further away from the hungry rivers churning and further into the tree line. Stumbling until they felt safe enough to collapse down to their knees.
Riddle greedily gasped for air, his hands digging into the grass and leaf's as he tried to regain his composure. His heart beating frantically in his chest as he forced himself to quell his adrenaline as it spiked through him in sharp bursts.
Azul, less winded than Riddle, was quick to stand back up to his feet. His efforts more focused on running over a checklist of himself. No injuries, anything missing. Things along those lines.
“How…How far down the river are we?” Riddle questioned, stumbling to his feet as he forcibly slowed his gasping down to a deep and controlled breath.
“The water was moving rather quickly, and it took me maybe 7 minutes or so to find you. So I would say maybe a little over a mile. Maybe two if we’re pushing it” Azul glanced to the driftwood racing by, and had no doubt in his mind it would be a decently annoying hike back.
“My phone is soaked” Riddle mumbled with a grimace as he pulled it out of where it was miraculously still in his pocket despite Riddle being tossed around like a ping pong ball.
“And my phone was still in my jacket pocket” Azul pulled at the pockets of his pants in disappointment. Very glad he was not like many land dwellers who would be cold and uncomfortable with the rain. Otherwise he would sorely be regretting leaving his jacket behind and only having the black tee-shirt to warm him.
It seemed that Riddle was precisely in that predicament as goosebumps rose from his exposed skin. His skin pale with the cold of the water seeping into his bones.
“Thank you for helping me, I am not sure I would have managed to get to the shore on my own” Riddle admitted.
“Why of course!” That trademark smile flashed over Azuls face, like he was a car salesman smiling only to sell the car. If you didn’t know better, one could possibly be fooled into believing it was a genuine innocent smile. “I couldn’t very well let you drown when I could easily offer my aid!”
Riddle sighed, once more pushing his hair back and out of his eyes as he glared around at his surroundings.
“You said it was only a mile or two? That’s not too far, if we start walking now we will be able to make it back before curfew” Riddle conceded, walking against the blow of the wind in the direction of camp without waiting for an agreement from Azul. Putting more effort than he liked to just walk against the wind and rain. Azul scoffed, quickly catching up to where Riddle was speed walking.
“In this weather? It would be safer to stop and take shelter until- would you stop walking off!” Azul exclaimed, already exasperated that Riddle just kept walking despite Azul trying to talk to him. Huffing when Riddle stopped and turned to him with a rather confused look. “We should stop and take shelter until the storm blows over. Or at least until it calms down a bit”
As if to prove a point, off in the distance the splintering of wood cracked out as another branch was presumably pulled from a tree. The wind gusting past the two in time with a sharp burst of lightning illuminating the dark surroundings. The thunder loud enough to make both of them jump.
“It could very well take hours before the storm passes” Riddle argued back. “ I have the Queens rules to uphold. Curfew is only a few hours away, and then there is to be an unbirthday part thrown in only two days. The roses must be painted red, and the flamingos and hedgehogs must match in color accordance. I refuse to break these rules over a-” Riddle waved his hands up to the fuming clouds above them. “-silly storm”
Azul rubbed his hands over his face in frustration. This was Riddle he was talking to, the one who ran laps in their dorm common room to uphold a foolish Heartslaybl rule. If he was set on upholding those rules little could convince him otherwise.
“I more than most understand that ‘time is money’ and wasting away in the woods is beyond ideal, but this is ridiculous” He muttered under his breath, fixing his glare to a reasonably plain look when Riddle spun around.
“What was that?”
“You don’t have a curfew due to the camp though” Azul reasoned. Figuring arguing against the rule itself was a futile endeavor. He mentally patted himself on the back for responding so casually, and not giving himself away for his earlier angry mutters.
“Since Coach Vargas has suspended the camp, Heartslaybl rules are now to be reinstated. And enforced. So yes, there is a curfew” Riddle explained rather calmly compared to his usual demeanor. Leaving more patience in his tone as he understood why Azul might not realize the severity of these rules enforcement. He was not in Heartslaybl, so he could not blame him for not knowing its rules.
“So you are just going to keep marching on in the middle of the raging storm?! There are a multitude of things that could go wrong, and with the cold and rain I might be just fine, but you could get hypothermia or catch some sickness”
“I’ll be fine. If you want, you can stay behind and find shelter” Riddle offered with a smarmy smile, knowing Azul would much prefer to not be left alone when Azul drew back in frustrated shock.
“I’ll send help when I get to camp” Riddle assured with a nod, then continued to briskly walk off. Careful with his footing as he stepped over stuck up branches and slick rocks.
“And if you don’t get back to camp? What then?! We will both be stuck in the woods without reinforcement or help. This is so like you, to rush off head first without thinking. That’s why you ended up in the river in the first place!”
“And if I had hesitated and ‘strategically planned’ as you wish, that student could have ended up seriously injured, and possibly even dead due to my inaction” Riddle grew heated as he spoke, rubbing sorely at a forming bruise on his arm where he had hit the rocky river bed. “I have no regret over my actions”
“Or you could have bother saved the scarabian and kept yourself out of harms way if you took a moment to think”
“That may very well be true” Riddle agreed. “But we are here now. And I am walking back to camp. Either keep up, or you may stay here”
“I swear! How could you be so stubborn in your wa-” Azul yelped as his foot caught right on a tall rock. His momentum in trying to keep up with Riddle working against him as he went falling flat onto his face with a solid squelch.
Riddle paused, almost laughing, if it weren’t for the fact it was almost pitifully obvious there was a rock there. It was as tall as the middle of Riddles shin. Suddenly, it became painfully obvious. Azul didn’t have his glasses with him. How had he not noticed until now? It seems so clear now that he had seen it.
“Azul, can you see right now?” Riddle laughed, leaning his weight on to one foot as he offered out a hand to Azul. Azul taking it with a less than grateful glare. Riddle pulled up, and Azul righted himself with a great amount of dignity for someone who had just fallen flat.
“I can see” Azul exaggerated his words. “Just not very well at the moment. But that is irrelevant on whether we should find shelter or not!” Azul yelled over the wind as he furiously brushed the mud off his elbows and face. Mud still clinging to his skin even after he tried to clear it. Turning back to try and see this offending rock, spotting the grey blob.
“Then it would not doubt be in you best interest to follow me then, so you don’t fall into the river thinking its a road” Riddle chuckled.
“Riddle! Normally I would go along with whatever absurdity you’re set on doing, but I really can not see how you rationalize this! The mountains alone could have a rockslide at any second! And then you consider-” Azul continued to ramble off angrily as he followed behind Riddle, the wind responding to his frustration as it too grew heavy. Lightening cracking and rain getting blown so hard it was falling sideways.
“Think of it as a special extenuating circumstance, and for once in your blasted life, miss your curfew, and not nearly kill yourself for some silly-”
“Silly!” Riddle screamed now, his face growing red. He could tolerate Azuls incessant ramblings, but direct insult to the queens rules!
The trees above them swayed dangerously. Their thick branches straining. As if they were leaning in to watch the NRC boys argue.
“QUEEN OF HEARTS” Azul dragged out the queens title with over dramatized fake respect, even putting in a fake boy before rolling his eyes.
“SILLY!” Riddle stopped walking forward, now pivoting around. His hands clenching into fists as Azul too stopped walking forward. Standing his ground just a few feet behind Riddle. Riddles face melded in fury, disbelief, and utter disgust as Azul had the audacity to smile mockingly in a haughty confidence.
“RULES!” Azul spat with a satisfied hiss.
Riddle opened his mouth to scream, answer, say anything to get this burning anger out from under his ribcage. But he was left without words as he distinctly heard an ominous creak. The valiant branches did all they could, but the winds were ever persistent and unrelenting. There was a resounding snap, followed by the crackling of wood high above Azul.
“Azul-” the red in Riddles face faded in an instant to a pale white as his head shot up in an attempt to see what had made such a loud crack. Hoping possibly even Azul had heard it but Azul was distracted.
“IT’S UTTERLY FOOLISH, A DEATH WISH EVEN! WHO IN THEIR RIGHT MIND WOULD SO BLINDLY FOLLOW A BOOK!” Azul continued to ramble, now on a rall as past thoughts bubbled to the surface as if in a confession of all of what he believed.
“Azul!” Riddle repeated, trying to catch Azuls attention, the red heads eyes widening as he caught sight of the branch longer than Riddle was tall precariously hanging on only by the quickly tearing bark.
“I can admire devotion, your dedication to idiocy is beyond even what I could comprehend at times! But this is a ridiculous level of goody two shoes rule following!” Azul put his hands to his eyes as he laughed in bewildered amazement.
“AZUL!” Riddle burst into a sprint as the last splinter split, and the branch plummeted towards the earth.
“What!” Azul snapped, looking up with an angry glare just in time to see the red blur of Riddles hair leaping towards him. Riddles hands pounding into his chest and knocking him flat off of his feet and tossing him back. The wind getting knocked out of him with a hollow ‘oomf’ as he hit the forest floor.
Before he could even get mad at Riddle for shoving him, scream about him being so childish for pushing him instead of using his words like an adult, his heart shook in his chest in fear of stopping when a guttural scream of pain stabbed at his ears. His voice dying with a crackle in his throat.
“Riddle?” Azul gasped out, crawling over to the blurry outline until Riddles face came into focus. Reeling as he saw Riddles pained expression.
His eyes were screwed shut as his teeth bared and grit, gasping out in whines and cries in between each hitched breath.
“Its ok- its ok, what hurts. What happened?!” Azul panicked, squinting furiously to try and see what in the great seven even happened. One second they were arguing, then the next Riddle was pushing him out of the way and screaming in pain. He heard something else. Something heavy falling and hitting the ground hard enough he could feel the vibrations bouncing through the ground.
Riddle wasn’t responding, or more accurately, couldn’t respond. Still crying out in horrible pained noises that unsettled Azul to his very core. It was not like Riddle, whenever he’s hit he always takes a moment but bounces right back out of pure spite.
Azul followed along Riddles body, a hand flying up to silence his own surprise, he saw what had caused such a heavy thud. It was a branch, more like a damn tree, and it now had Riddle pinned. Great seven. He had been standing there just a second ago, that would have landed smack dab on his head.
“Gh, my leg, my legs trapped” Riddle tried to move himself, but instantly regretted the decision as his leg felt like it was being ripped apart, searing with pain that flared and pulsed. Starts staining his vision as his head spun.
“Don’t move, we don’t know the extent of the injury, you could exacerbate it” Azul push his hair up and out of his face as if it would somehow make it easier to see. He breathed in shakily, pushing down his inner want to panic himself. They couldn’t afford both of them panicking.
Riddle whined, but otherwise agreed with a curt nod of his head.
Azul pulled himself over to where Riddles legs were. They were damn lucky it was only one of his legs. If it would have landed any higher, it could be crushing Riddles organs, or even his ribs. They they wouldn’t even be able to dream of moving Riddle. But, the tree had landed from about his shin down, sparing his knee cap from its crushing weight. But it was probably under stress at being pushed at such an odd angle.
Azul had to lean in very close to properly see what had happened. He could see that Riddles pinned leg had sunk down deeply into the mud. That was good…maybe. If it was soft enough it could have absorbed some of the impact. If not, Riddles leg bone could be utterly shattered right now with how large this branch was.
“It’s going to be ok, just…just give me a moment to think” Azul muttered under his breath as he tried to come up with a way to safely lift the branch up and off of Riddle without hurting him more. Or did he even want to try?
He could run back to camp and bring back someone more qualified. But he was not very athletically…inclined. It would take him forever to get there, let alone come back. Then that was if he even made it, even though he would hate to admit it, Riddle was right in the sense that with his vision so impaired it’d be hard to even find his way back. So he could try lifting it. But then what would he do when he did lift it off? Could they possibly create a makeshift cast? Or at least something to keep it from jostling to much.
None of this absurdity would have happened if Coach Vargas would have just left the non-athletic clubs stick to what they do, and leave the athletes to this crazy camping craziness. But no, no no no. Vargas simply had to stick his opinion where it didn’t belong. Going on about ‘stronger muscles’ and ‘workout makes for better mages’ PAH! Just because Azul couldn’t run as fast as Deuce or physically lift extreme weights over his head didn’t make him less of a mage! He was going off on a tangent. He needs to focus on the matter at hand and not how he despised the camp.
Azul bit at his lips as he brainstormed. His thoughts drifting back to the way Riddle couldn’t help but jerk in pain, or how he was trying to bury his own hiccups into the crook of his elbow as he miraculously refrained from just bawling out in pain.
Alright. He would summon wind magic and utilize plant magic, create ropes, and attach it to the two ends. Find a way to leverage the two ropes up, and use wind magic to make it lighter. He would (hopefully) use it to safely lift the branch up and off with as little jostling as possible. He would have to move slow.
He crawled back over to Riddles head, gently placing a hand on his shoulder in an attempt to give some comfort.
“Riddle” Azul waited patiently for a response, rubbing circles on Riddles shoulder.
“Yes?” He croaked, clearing his throat.
“I am going to lift the branch off of your leg, and put it in a split. Ok?”
Riddle mouth worked for a moment as he tried to say anything cohesive. “If you must” Riddle grit, resting his forehead on his arms as he tried to focus on the sensation of rain stinging his skin instead of the horrible pain in his leg.
“Alright, I’ll tell you when” Azul went to work, collecting nearby stick that looked straight enough to act as a decent splint, then securing the fallen branch.
“Alright. Are you ready”
Riddle wanted to say no, but his voice betrayed him as he uttered “Yes” he was honestly surprised Azul was able to hear him over the storm.
Azul was slow as he gradually lifted the branch bit by bit, waiting until the branch was well over two feet above Riddle before he tossed it far away with a strong burst of wind magic. Just as he thought, the mud had cushioned the blow at least a little bit. But he would have to dig his leg out before he could splint it.
“How bad is it?” As the adrenaline of shock ebbed away, Riddle became more cognizant and present.
Azul hesitated for a moment, but ultimately decided blunt honesty in this situation was best. At least with Riddle it was.
“You leg is broken, that’s a given. But, you’re not bleeding luckily. It’s not great. But not unmanageable”
“Mmm” Riddle hummed. “We’ll have to put it in a splint” Riddle recited emptily, his mothers words echoing in his head over lectures on medical practices. She was a doctor after all, and he wanted (she wanted him?) to become a doctor as well.
“Mhm” Azul nodded, ignoring the gnawing discomfort at Riddle sounding so disoriented. He had just told Riddle that he was going to be creating a splint, he was actually already laying it out right now, so him no remembering Azul already planned for it. But he could dwell on that later, right now he needed to focus on trying to gently excavate Riddles leg from where it was absorbed in mud.
“We both got what we wanted” Riddle laughed softly after a tense silence as Azul pulled at the mud.
“I fail to see how either of us wanted this”
“You wanted me to stop walking”
“Obviously this is not what I meant!” Azul spouted, not liking the accusatory nature of the statement.
“And I wanted to go back to camp”
“...I suppose your statement isn’t exactly wrong” Azul conceded, wincing when his hand grazed a little to hard on Riddles leg.
After a few minutes, and a fair amount of strangled gasps and groans later, Azul ha damaged to successfully put Riddles leg into a makeshift cast. It was sloppy, even for makeshift standards. And it had Azul frowning down at it in disappointment, but it would do.
“Ready? 3, 2, 1-” Azul grit his teeth together with a breathy growl with Riddles hands in his own, and heaved Riddle to his feet. Making doubly sure that he was there to support his injured side so he would not apply pressure to the wound.
It was upon Riddles insistence that he walk semi-on his own. And Azul couldn’t necessarily argue. He would not be physically capable of fully carrying Riddle halfway back to camp. Let alone the whole way.
So instead, Azul stood firm and refused to take no for an answer until Riddle let him help and act as his crutch, or else he would feel quite useless. Riddles left arm was looped over Azuls shoulder, and Azuls arms under Riddles. This worked. Or at least, it did for the first couple steps.
“Riddle, let me try my way” Azul urged tentatively. It seemed like they were doomed to squabble. It made Azul miss Riddle being quiet, but now he had recovered his stubborn sass.
“I am not incapable of walking Azul. It’s just a broken leg. I do not need coddling” He said this despite having slipped, and stepped on the injured leg on numerous occasions now.
“It was my own indiscretion that forced you to have to save me from being squished like a bug under a rock, and endanger yourself in the process. I insist”
Riddle side eyed Azul for a beat.
“Fine. We’ll try it your way if you ‘insist” Riddle mocked Azuls willing tone.
“Wonderful!”
………
This is not wonderful.
They trenched through the thick of the woods. A whole 40 minutes had passed, and Azul was a sweaty panting mess as he clumsily slipped and dragged himself along.
Both of Riddles arms were looped over Azuls shoulders, his head resting by the crook of Azuls neck with the rest of his body laying on top of Azuls back. His good foot dragged along the ground, while his injured leg was held up by a small sling Azul had conjured up.
Azul was hunched over, his whole back nearly lying out flat as he was crushed by the extra weight.
“Why…must you be so heavy?!” Azul panted indignantly as he glared dead ahead.
Riddle scoffed, his face pressed into the back of Azuls shirt as he tried to maintain some kind of body heat. Shivering as he took the brunt of the rain.
“I’ll have you know I-I am a perfectly healthy weight, and I am not some l-lumbering elephant you have to carry!” Riddles teeth clattered out.
“Ha!” Azul laughed sarcastically.
“You, Ashengrotto, are j-just weak. I thought octopi were supposed to be s-strong!”
“They have a strong grip strength!” Azul corrected, his voice a rasped yell. “Which if were were to attribute that to me, which would be stupid-”
“Stupid!”
“Yes. Then that extra grip strength is the only reason I am still holding onto you. They are not just stronger all around! Do I look like Jack!?! I am no a wall of muscle” Azul complained, yelping out in surprise when his foot slipped on the rain soaked grass. Sending both of them careening to the side. Azul just barely managing to swish out his foot and catch the both of them before they went collapsing into the mud.
They went silent for awhile after that. Like when you almost get into an accident while driving and suddenly the radio and air conditioning have to be turned off and everyone shuts up. Only the occasional grumble or exhausted gasp from Azul breaking that fragile silence. Squinting moodily the entire time.
“We might have to wait out the storm-” Azul groaned as he took another step. “The winds picking up again, and it would not help either of us if I twist an ankle trying to walk in all this rain”
Riddle hummed deftly. His head thumping against Azuls back.
“Riddle?” Azul spoke a little louder this time in case the roaring winds drowned him out. But this time he didn’t even get a hum in response. “You can’t start sleeping now Riddle…Riddle” Azul stopped his slow crawl he might refer to as walking. He adjusted his grip on Riddles wrists. The water slicking them and making it hard to properly grasp them without constant adjusting.
Azul shook his shoulders back and forth in an attempt to wake Riddle back up with all the fast movement. It seemed to do the trick as an annoyed groan filled his ears.
“Riddle”
“Yes?” Riddle rasped. Just barely aware of his surroundings.
“I need you to keep an eye out for shelter. A cave, a sturdy looking tree. We need to stop and rest”
He felt Riddle nod against him, but he honestly had little faith that Riddle was awake enough to spot shelter, for the great seven he probably couldn’t even call out if he saw a purple dolphin.
Azul had caught him dozing off a couple of times now, with increasing frequency. It made Azul nervous that the cold was finally getting to him. They shouldn’t have even been out here for this long. Sure, he was walking slow, but an average 2 mile walk was roughly 30 minutes. But there was no camp in sight! They couldn’t have gotten lost, he’s been following the river this entire time!
They continued on, and Azul made sure to occasionally jostle Riddle around to make sure he didn’t fall asleep or die from the cold without him knowing.
Finally, after about 20 more minutes of the miserable rain, Riddles hand slowly raised a pointed off to Azuls right.
“There. Cave” he mumbled. Not wasting his breath with any extra verbiage. It got the point across.
“Finally” Azul heaved. Torturously turning in the direction Riddle pointed until he finally came up to the cave.
It was pretty barren, with the exception of some leaves and twigs that had been blown in by the wind. Azul adjusted Riddle on his back until he could relatively hold him up with just one hand. With his free hand he cast a bright ball of light that hovered over his palm. Illuminating the deeper parts of the cave.
It was a shallow cave, with no connecting tunnels or hidden nooks that could hide a vicious animal or vengeful woodland spirit. For the moment, it was a safe place.
He dragged Riddle deeper into the cave to get out of the range of the rain. The wind still barreled in, but Azul could easily raise a wall of rock or plant to block some of the wind.
“I’m going to put you down now, ready” Azul all but strained out, not really waiting for a yes before he tried to slowly lower Riddle off of his back without crudely dropping him.
Riddle hissed as his foot slid down and across the rough stone ground. His hands sprawling out to try and control his descent. Which only made Azul lose balance and lower Riddle much faster than he was expecting. The both of them falling down to the ground with a shout. Azul having to let himself fall harshly onto the ground without even trying to break his fall just to avoid landing on top of Riddle.
“Great seven” Azul groaned. His voice bouncing off of the walls and back at him.
“You are so dramatic” Riddle puffed, dragging a trembling hand up to swipe some of the water from his face.
Neither moved from where they laid side by side. Too utterly exhausted to even think about moving. The both of them numbly listening to the patter of the pelting rain, and the rolling booms that didn’t seem to end with each flash of light. Even though they were no longer in the rain the cold of the stone floor beneath them had Riddle shivering in minutes.
Because of the encroaching cold, Riddle was the first to break the standstill and sit up. Doing his best to not move, or even look at his legs as he summoned wind magic to drag a handful of stick to him from where they had been blown into the mouth of the cage.
It took him longer than he liked, but finally he got sticks dry enough to light on fire. Then messily stacked them up to make a humble, weak, fire. He scooted as close as he could without catching aflame, wincing as he manually lifted his leg up and over.
Azul still laid unmoving from his spot on the floor. Water now pooling beneath him and his soaked shirt.
“Azul, there’s a fire…” When Azul only grunted in weak acknowledgment, Riddle nearly threw a pebble at him. “Aren’t you cold?”
“I live in the Coral Sea Riddle, the average temperature is much colder than this”
“So you’re not cold”
“No…” Azul forced his aching legs to move beneath him, suddenly missing his other limbs. He sat up, pulling at the wet and sticky shirt that clung to him uncomfortably.
“How is your leg? Any increased pain? Or numbness” Azul questioned as his eyes landed on the water soaked bandage.
Riddle paused, reluctant to answer truthfully. He didn’t want to sound dramatic, or pathetic in the way he was just barely keeping himself from being a groaning crying mess of pain. It was utterly awful, and every time Azul would step or stumble it was like the rain was gasoline being poured over the fire on his legs. He was too afraid to even breath too deeply, or twitch without setting pain rippling through his body. Then to top it all off, his head was positively spinning.
He wanted nothing more than to sleep it off, lay his head back and only wake up when they were rescued, or when Azul managed to drag his rather useless limp body back to school.
He missed his bed…
“It hurts a normal amount I suppose, I don’t really know what the normal would be” Riddle mumbled. “I haven’t lost feeling in my foot, so-” He still adamantly refused to look at his leg, instead staring, transfixed by the soft wavering flames as it flickered weakly.
“Anything else hurt?” Azul asked as he looked Riddle up and down. His nose was pink, along with his cheeks and ears. Then there was the distant look in his eyes as he stared at the fire. His gaze, normally sharp and burning with annoyingly bold determination looked like it had been extinguished by the very water that clung to his eyelashes.
It was unnerving. And Azuls skin crawled the longer he looked. He couldn’t see how his leg was the only thing causing such a far off look.
“Not really. Just cold” Riddle shifted around until he could press his back up against the cave wall. Dragging his good leg up so his knee was pressed to his chest to try and conserve warmth. Wrapping his arms around his leg and resting his chin atop his knee.
“Then I’ll go and get some wood for the fire” Azul offered seeing as he was still able bodied. Though reluctant, he stood up and walked to the mouth of the cave, his shoes tapping against the rock as he went. A sharp squeak filling the cave when Azuls heel stopped just before walking out.
“Do you still have your mages pen?”
Riddle straightened at the thought. He hasn’t even checked, reaching over to his left shoulder, he was stunned to feel the smooth cut surface of his mages pen. He plucked it off of where it was clipped to his clothes.
“Do you mind if I take it with me? My mages pen was, of course, in my jacket. I’m thinking I might try creating some kind of a signal so a search party could find us. Honestly I should have done so earlier” Azul sighed with a shrug and a shake of his head.
Riddle extended his arm out as a wordless show of compliance. Azul quickly walking over and plucking it up from Riddles outstretched hand with a nod of thanks.
“I’ll be back soon, don’t fall asleep and fall into the fire” Azul commented as he caught Riddle yawning.
“I’ll try not to” Riddle responded sarcastically, not personally planning to add burns onto the growing list of injuries.
Riddle settled back down to resting his chin on his knee, and Azul left with Riddles mages pen securely held within his grasp.
Azul puttered about in the rain, extra cautious and jumpy of any creaking or groaning he heard above him. He picked up as many sticks and logs as his arms could hold, then came back to the cave and dumped it onto the fire. He repeated this, walking out, grabbing sticks, then coming back. Out, in, out, in.
It was on his last loop around that he had realized that Riddle gradually looked more and more ill.
As he crouched down to drop the sticks into the crackling flame, he was now close enough to really see how pale Riddle looked in the fire light. The cold pink was settling in to a full flush, and Riddle had adopted a throaty rattle that didn’t seem to clear no matter how much he coughed.
Azul reached up without thinking and pressed the back of his head to Riddles forehead, tsking at the soft heat radiating from him.
“I h’ve a fever, don’t I?” Riddle slurred, his eyes closing as he leaned in minutely against the cold of Azuls hand.
“Yes, but, it doesn’t seem too severe. Noticeable, but not severe. Getting you out of the weather probably kept it from getting worse” Azul sat back on his haunches, withdrawing his hand from Riddles forehead and whipping at the skin that had made contact as if it would get him sick too.
The best thing he could do for him now was get him back to the school. He would try and do all he could to help Riddle here and now, but his efforts should focus on effectively getting them home.
Azul placed a hand on Riddles shoulder and the other on his back, Riddle actually leaving his transfixed gaze on the fire to look at Azul quizzically.
“You look like you’re on long blink away from falling asleep. You should lay down”
Riddle remained skeptical, not letting Azul guide him down to sleep. He was like a toddler who never wanted to do what you asked of them when he was sick. Duly noted.
“I won’t go far this time, I’ll just be right outside the cave, so if you need anything you can just call”
“You won’t get lost” Riddle snickered tiredly, a little dazed. Azul rolled his eyes. Riddle seemed utterly glued to the idea Azul would end up stumbling blindly through the forest.
“I will tether myself to you if I must if it will get you to go to sleep” Azul drawled bitterly, pushing against Riddles shoulder until Riddle finally started to lean back until he was laying down a safe distance from the fire.
“No, I trust you to not wander Azul” Riddle hummed, sounding pleasantly loopy. His eyes sliding shut.
“What a hassle” Azul whispered when he was sure he wouldn’t hear a snappy response form Riddle. He lingered for a few minutes, sitting down besides Riddle as he focused on the soft puffs of his own breathing, and the deep rattling, sleep filled breaths from the red head as his chest slowly raised up and down.
What a night this was turning out to be. One moment the whole camp was peacefully sleeping away in their tents after a long day of mining and fishing. Then, withing the span of a few hours Azul had been whisked away downstream with an injured Housewarden. He would say he was surprised, if it weren’t for the fact this was Night Raven College. Horrible and crazy things happened every Wednesday.
Azul plopped his face down into his hand with an exhausted sigh. His muscles ached, and his eyes were stinging from straining to see. But he had Riddle to thank for not being entirely worse off. He barely felt capable of being able to complain.
He hadn’t thanked him yet, it was due to yelling and arguing that Riddle had to push him out of the way and injure himself. But he hadn’t even thanked him yet. There was so much going on he hadn’t even considered it until it was only his own thoughts and the thunder left to fill the silence.
“Riddle?”
Riddle groaned softly, but it was clear he hadn’t actually processed that Azul was speaking to him.
Azul stared at Riddle, noting the way his brows minutely furrowed with every krakoom of thunder, and how the water was finally beginning to evaporate. Riddles hair slowly drying.
Oh well. He would tell him later. Rest was more important than settling Azuls own guilt. He would simply repay him by getting that signal up.
……….
Azul had wasted about 30 minutes of his life trailing around outside of the cave. He had found a clearing devoid of over hanging trees only a few feet away, and shot bursts of fire high into the air for what felt like an eternity. Adjusting the power and height until he was sure it was able to crest of the tree line, and not fizzle out from the rain.
He kept an eye out for any bursts of fire in response. Every few minutes he swore he could hear someone yelling out his and Riddles names. But when he would hold his breath and listen with an intensity for even one more bit of solid proof that he had in fact heard yelling, only the pounding of his heart beating in his ear was his answer.
It was wholly frustrating. He knew Jade was at camp, and he could not easily be held back. That is, if he and his twin warranted this as amusing and interesting enough to warrant their attention.
But, was there a chance that Headmaster Crowley had stepped in? Had he possibly forced the other students to evacuate for their own safety? Azul laughed at the thought. Headmaster Crowley? Caring about the students wellbeing over the possible scandal of losing two Housewardens? HA. He had willingly sent students fighting his own battles too many times to count. No matter the danger.
But Vargas on the other hand. Vargas is the type to stand unmoving on his principle of keeping students in their dorms instead of stomping through the storming woods.
He could practically envision Vargas standing in front of the mirror chamber, the Great Wall of muscles and pinnacle of egg overconsumption. Holding back even Jade and Floyd from coming and finding them.
But then again, once Vargas could entrust another teacher to keep the others safe he would come and retrieve them himself.
All of the roads his train of thought chugged down the lead to the conclusion that someone would be looking for them.
So where the hell were they! He had been shooting flares into the sky for going on 40 minutes now. And not a single response!
Should he try walking with Riddle again? It would risk aggravating his sickness though. Then there was still the threat of Azul just completely whipping out, his coordination was at an all time low, then both of them could end up immobile in the woods.
His train of thought came screeching to a halt when the ringing of a small bell filled his ear.
“What in the world-” Azul spun around as he tried to find its source, landing on a bright green spot floating within arms reach. It bobbed and weaved back and forth as it continued to ring out. Like someone had taken some jingle bells and furiously shook them about.
“A wood spirit!” Azul exclaimed with a smile. He personally couldn’t converse with the spirits that lived on the school ground, but they had spent quite some time fighting them off during the camp. (But sa la vie, he could forget their constant attacks on the camp if it meant possibly gaining an ally!). Of course one would come looking when there was so much fire being spouted out over here.
“Hello. I know you want us to stooOp and leaaaavee this foreeest, am I right in that assumption?” Azul asked with his smarmy smile. Dragging out words in hopes that it would simplify their meaning somehow. His hands waving about as he tried to clearly convey what he was saying via gestures. It got closer to him, until he could see it more clearly. It nodded furiously, its features drawn in a sharp pout as it pointed to Azuls hands, where the mages pen was gripped.
“Wonderful, because IIIII too want to leaveee yooour forest more that anything. But you seee, we’re looooost, and my acquaintance in the cave is badly huuurt. We can’t levee” Azul turned up the pity points as he utilized his own frustrations to make himself sound more obviously dismayed. “But!”
The fairy startled, zipping back away before slowly floating back with more caution.
“My apologies, I didn’t mean to startle you” Azul bent down so he was at eye level with the fairy, “but, with you here, we might stand a chance. You see, there were ooothers here a few hours ago now. Like meee” Azul pointed at himself. “Peeeeeopleee”
The spirit nodded along, but judging by its expression it was quickly losing interest in Azuls talking. So he would get to the point.
“We would gladly leeeave if you just heeelped the others in this forest fiiiind us” Azuls summarized with a few flourished of the hand. And the fairy drifted back, just before Azuls vision blurred its features out he could see its brows knit together in thought.
Then there was once more bell ringing, and the fairy grabbed at his sleeve and started to try and pull him.
“No, no I can’t leave” Azul waved as politely as he could to not upset the spirit. Then he pointed over to the cave, where he couldn’t quite see Riddle from here but he knew was still peacefully slumbering away. “My-er- friend. He’s injured, and I can’t in good conscience leave him alone in the middle of the woods. I swore I would stay”
The fairy let go of Azuls arm and sped off towards the cave. A zing of fear shot through Azuls nerves at seeing it rushing towards Riddle without clearly knowing its intentions, and he was quick to run after it.
He came to the mouth of the cave, and with such a short burst of running he was once again winded. Leaning up against the rock as he peered in. The fire still flickered on, and Riddles red head still laid unmoving. Not aware of the fairy silently floating just above his face.
Azul held his breath as the fairy bounced from the fire, back to Riddle. He could feel the disdain and the agitation of its movement. It clearly wasn’t pleased with the fire.
Azul worried that with Riddle being so close to it the fairy will jump to conclusions, and snap at Riddle.
It turned away from the fire and zipped around above Riddle, stopping over his broken leg, then suddenly changing direction entirely and charging at Azul. Azul jumping in surprise when the green blob raced at him so quickly.
The pings of bells once more filled his ear as it twittered in his face. The green spirit jittering back and forth rapidly through the air. Azuls head having to snap back and forth to track its movement.
“Are you going to help?” Azul questioned apprehensively, his hands tightening softly around the metal casing of the mages pen.
There was a pause in the ringing, then a short burst of pings before it went flying past Azul and off into the woods. Disappearing into the grey curtain of rain.
Azul let out a shuddering breath as he felt the tension slip from his shoulders. Slipping Riddles pen into his pocket.
“Let’s hope that was a yes” Azul chirped to Riddle, aware of the fact he wouldn’t get a response but kept talking nonetheless. “You slept through quite the exhilaratingly nerve racking negotiation” he sighed. Coming to stand besides Riddle before sliding down the wall until he was sitting. The pebbles of rock gritting under his shoes as his feet slid out.
“Hopefully, but the time you wake up, we will have been found” Azul looked at Riddle expectantly, almost sure that Riddle would rouse with all the talking Azul was doing. But he didn’t even grumble, or screw his face up in annoyance.
Azul rubbed his eyes, trying to will away the burning from his lack of glasses. Riddle was entirely dry now. His hair puffy, completely different from the slicked and flat way his hair laid when he was still drenched in water. His clothes were essentially dry, except in spots where it was still laying in the pool of water he left behind. The only thing not dry was his face, a sheen of sweat lining his brow and forehead. Rattling breaths softly huffing past his lips.
He couldn’t help but feel a little disappointed. It was going to be a numbing kind of boring without someone to talk to. But he supposed the sickness would be draining, he was probably going to sleep and sleep and-
“Mmm” Riddle groaned, his face pinching together.
He was proven wrong!
Azul waited impatiently for Riddle to rouse himself awake, peering over him but leaving enough room to not encroach upon his space. His face steeled as he tried to remain nonchalant and uninterested while inwardly he was incredibly eager to have someone to talk to that didn’t sound like bells. But it seemed the sound was only a voicing of discomfort as Riddles face smoothed back over.
Azul sank in disappointment, crossing his legs and propping his elbow on his knees. His cheek smushing against the back of his hand that was brought up as a chin rest. Silence it was then…
Azul experimentally reached out with his free hand, and pressed it to Riddles forehead. If he was uncomfortable enough to groan out in his sleep, his fever might have worsened in the time he was gone.
He nearly recoiled at how hot the skin was compared to the cool temperature of his own. The heat lingering on the back of his hand as he pulled it back. He was undeniably burning up. Before, it was evident, but not so extreme. Perhaps Azul shouldn’t have left him to sleep so close to the fire.
“You definitely go big or go home Riddle” Azul grumbled, rubbing at the heat slowly ebbing away from his hand as he glanced at the dwindling fire.
He didn’t know the basics of land dwellers sickness, leaving Azul at a loss for what to really do next. Could pulling him away from the fire exacerbate the fever with the cold? Or is the fire only making it worse? He didn’t exactly get a handbook on this preparing for such an outlandish situation!
He landed on just leaving Riddle where he was. Waking him up only to move him when he wasn’t even sure moving him would help was foolish.
Azul filled the begrudgingly slow drip of time as he thought up contingency plans if the fairy was in fact not sending for help. He found himself fiddling with the pebbles around him until they created shapes and images as his thoughts bubbled about. They drifted between rescue, then to the latest shipment of goods sitting in the Mostro Lounge that he expected (more like hoped for their safety, lest they wish to suffer his wrath) was put away. Then with the thought of the shipment he dwelled on silly things like updating the menu and the optimal pricing for the highest profit. He would only pause in his fidgeting when the occasional groan or whine echoed from Riddle.
He mostly didn’t move, but his head would occasionally flip to the other side, or his hand would clench up. But nothing more than that.
“If I were to utilize the in season strawberries, then it would be both cheaper and we could advertise the fresh and satisfying smoothie to compliment the warmer weather” Azul flicked a rock away as he spoke aloud, having grown tired of keeping his thoughts jumbled up inside his head without paper to apply his words to. “Yes, that would probably be the best route, don’t you think?” Azul rolled his head over to look at Riddle. His face bored and unexpectant before he smirked to himself.
“I’ll take your silence as agreement. I hope for you patronage in the future then” Azul mused to himself with a small, barely amused chuckle, turning back to focusing on his pebbles.
It was just as Azul was reaching out for an extra pebble to finish up the circle he had made when he heard something more than thunder out in the rain. Azul strained to hear it again.
“Rose-rt, Asheng-tto”
Azul leapt to his feet, scrambling to the entrance of the cave as he stuck his head out into the rain. Then he heard it again! Louder this time but still far off.
“Riddle” Azule snapped back around, stepping over the pebble circle to drop down besides the slumbering Housewarden. “Riddle!” Azul hissed harshly, less than gracefully shaking Riddles shoulders.
“W’t, what?!” Riddles arms flailed out to push Azul away, his fevered gaze darting about in a panic as he frantically searched for the danger. Azul just barely caught Riddles left arm before it went smacking into his face.
“Wake up, the forest fairy pulled through!” Azul laughed in disbelief. He conjured water from the rain outside to splash down over the fire. Sufficiently dousing the flame until not even a warm glow sparked withing the bark.
“Forest fairy?” Riddle shivered, staring at the doused fire longingly as the cold quickly flooded over him.
“That’s right, you were asleep. I’ll tell you about it later, but the short of it is I think we are about to be rescued!”
Riddle bucked forward so he was sitting, his head falling into the crook of his arm as a cough forced its way up his throat until he was hacking up a lung.
Azul sneered in involuntary disgust, leaning back to avoid being coughed on. He let Riddle cough until he ran out of steam, then quickly steeled his face when Riddle turned back around, hiding his underlying revulsion. Then he made sure Riddle didn’t carelessly flop back and crack his head on a rock. Keeping him sitting up.
“Rescued?” Riddle croaked.
“Yes, let’s get you up, so we can get out of here as soon as possible” Riddle sluggishly moved about with a bit a manipulating from Azul, letting Azul slip his arms under his shoulders as he hefted him up to his feet. Riddle taking care to keep his injured leg up and off the floor as he hopped towards the caves entrance with the help of Azul.
“ROSEHEARTS, ASHENGROTTO!” The yelling was much louder now, and Azul couldn’t deny he was relieved when Riddle gasped at hearing it. He was worried he perhaps misheard the yelling.
“This way!” Azul yelled back, and there was a flurry of distant shouts of surprise and excitement.
“DON’T MOVE, WELL COME TO YOU!” That voice was distinctly Coach Vargas.
“Yes sir!” Riddle yelled back, wincing as his throat flared in pain. Doubling in on himself as a cough ripped up his throat.
“KEEP TALKING, WERE ALMOST THERE!” That voice wasn’t Coach Vargas, but it sounded familiar. Not familiar enough for Azul to recognize by name though.
“Ok!” Azul shouted back. Adjusting his arms under Riddle when the red head began to tilt a bit to far to the side.
They continued this game of call and response for only a minute at most before Azul caught the bright color of glowing green breaking through the thicket, followed by the striking color of…silver? The red of Vargases jacket crudely pushed through branches, then much to Azuls relief, he saw the turquoise of the tweels hair. What Azul could not see, but Riddle could, was the Headmaster following close behind. Making faces of disgust and discomfort as he poked a tree branch out of his way with the top of his cane.
Finally! Azul cheered to himself, he was beginning to worry they would be out here all night. But no! The rescue team had arrived. And as agreed, Riddle and himself would be out of the spirits forest soon enough.
Floyd and Jade flanked him in an instant.
“You look as if you’ve bathed yourself in mud” Jade smiled, hiding his own chuckle behind his hand.
“It's not faiiir, you got to go jumping into the river. You should have invited me along before you went swimmin!” Floyd whined.
“I assure you I had no intention of diving into the river” Azul glared as he looked down at his mud covered pants. The brown caking his knees dripping over his shoes. You would think with all of that meandering about in the rain the mud would have washed itself away, yet that simply wasn’t the case.
“It must have been fun though, waddaya say we go leap in now. C’mon Jade”
“Let’s refrain for now, maybe some other day” Jade smiled, placing a cautionary hand upon Floyd’s shoulder to keep him from rushing off that very minute.
Floyd, Azul, and Jade all continued to talk while Vargas and Crowley came over and talked to Riddle. Their conversations overlapping. Riddle still leaned heavily onto Azul, and Azul still latched his arms about Riddle to keep him balanced.
Azul was practically interrogating Jade and Floyd over the happenings of the Mostro Lounge, but clamped his mouth shut as a hand came to tap gently at his arm.
“Hmm?” Azul followed the gloved hand to the Headmaster.
“Ashengrotto, you may let go. Coach Vargas will carry Rosehearts here back to the dark mirror. I’m sure you too are exhausted” The Headmaster spoke oddly soft, but his grin was still as plastic and fake as a dolls.
“Ah, yes. Of course” Azul stumbled, clearing his throat of the unease. A flashing thought of hesitance spurring at so willingly letting Riddle be carried back out into the rain. He had been aiding him, and carrying him for so long it felt odd to not have his feverish warmth burning into his arm.
He looked to Riddle first, searching for some sign he was fine with being handed over to Vargas. It was impressive. How quickly and convincingly Riddle had steeled his features to once more be poised. That sick boy that could barely bother keeping his thoughts from jumbling together suddenly now the stoic and stringent Heartslaybl Housewarden.
Riddles sensed that Azul was looked at him, and turned to him with a soft nod.
Azul tenderly handed Riddle over to Vargas. Who, with great care, lifted Riddle off his feet to carry him with much more ease than when Azul had tried. Spouting something about the two’s great strength of persistence or something along those lines.
Azul didn’t miss the deep wince on Riddles face as his leg fell down and dangled mid air.
“Azul” Jade called Azuls attention away from Riddle as the Headmage tended to Riddles temperature.
“What?” Azuls brows raised, keeping the concern bubbling under the surface craft fully hidden.
“A Scarabian student was adamant that we return these to you” Jade outstretched his hands, and even with blurry vision Azul could recognize his glasses. “Now, I was reluctant to return them-”
Floyd snickered. Azul shot a pointed glare.
“But he was insistent” Jade let Azul snatch his glasses out of the palm of his hand. Quickly fixing them upon his face grinning like a loon when he could finally see clearly again.
He looked about as he tested his vision, his gaze landing on the boy with moonlight colored hair. He had seen him before. He was a member of the Diasomnia dorm. He was more often than not at Malleus Draconias side. Of all the people to be indebted to.
But perhaps he could use this to his advantage, to create thicker bonds between himself and the Draconias. Yes. That would work. He would come by later, introduce himself and offer his thanks and some gift in return. Then-
“He was the one who managed to talk to the fairy, and is the only reason we knew to follow it here to you” Jade whispered as to not be over heard by Silver. “I would be quite interested in hearing how you established a connection between the fairy, and convinced it to come and get us”
“I simply did what I excel in, I struck a simple deal”
Azul dragged his gaze away from where Silver stood awkward yet stoic all at the same time by Vargases side. Instead starring at the surrounding trees, mesmerized by the details he could not see earlier. The way the water dripped from the leaves, and the way the branches swayed heavily with the winds commands. It’s no wonder they were snapping clean off. What Azul had yet to notice was the hushed whispers of the two adults as they glanced between Riddle and the forest. Crowley leaning forward to whisper in Vargases ear as to not worry the other students. His hand resting on Riddles shoulder softly, an attempt at reassurance.
“What took you both so long? At least I have the excuse of walking slow due to having to help Riddle. But you both are able bodied, and all you had to do was follow the river” Azul demanded as he redirected his attention to the tweels, who just stood with mischievous smiles.
“What? We found you didn’t we?” Floyd rolled his head to the side, quirking a brow playfully. “Why’re you getting all mad”
“It was not as simple as following the river. There were multiple forks in the rivers flow, did you not notice?” Jade supplied, posing his question with a hint of malice posed as sincerity. Poking fun at Azuls clear unawareness to the rivers multiple paths.
“No, I did not. I was a little preoccupied” Azul scowled at Jades playful jab, pressing up his glasses as the rain water made them slippery, and slowly slide down his nose.
“Alright!” Vargas called, his booming voice easily slicing through the thunder.
He really didn’t need to speak so loud, everyone was right around him. Azul nearly laughed when he saw Riddle wince and stuff down a glare as his eardrums were no doubt burst from the sheer proximity of being near Vargas yelling.
“The storm only gonna get worse, no use lollygagging around here!”
Everyone agreed, as if anyone would argue they would want to stay. The rain and wind was anything but pleasant. And Azul desperately wanted to sleep in his bed.
So they were off, Vargas setting the quick pace as he nearly ran ahead. Azul stumbling to keep up and stay by Riddles side, occasionally daring to look away from the obstacles of the forest floor to glance to Riddle.
The whole walk back he looked positively miserable, once more cold and wet, with a fever burning him up and a leg screaming in pain as Vargas did his best but ultimately failed to keep him from jostling about.
When they finally got back to the mirror chamber, it was like Azul blinked and Vargas and Riddle were gone. Consumed by the inky black of the mirror that connected to the main campus. Azul was quick to follow but a firm hand caught him just as he began to climb the steps. The crinkle of leather filling his ears as cold metal claws chilled his shoulder. The smooth crafted metal dragging across exposed skin.
He turned to see Headmaster Crowley, who had already corralled the other three so they were huddled in the middle of the room.
“Ashengrotto, though it simply warms my heart that you want to remain at Rosehearts side, it simply won’t do to have the nurses office so crowded” Crowley gasped out as he tilted his head back to keep tears from falling. “It’s so wonderful that NRC students care so deeply for their fellow peers” He chocked out, removing his clawed hands from Azuls shoulders to wipe at his eyes.
“I understand completely, but I must insist I follow. I do not want any unjust blame passed on to me if Riddles injuries are aggravated. I will stay out of the nurses way” Azul smiled with forced courtesy. His muscles ached, his legs felt like they had been filled with a numb jelly, and his clothes were clinging to his skin. He was not in the mood to debate or convince. But he wanted to make sure Riddle was properly cared for, he hadn’t come this far just for everything to go south and then his debt to Riddle become impossibly deeper.
“I have no doubt that you would, but your dorm needs its Housewarden. You may check on Rosehearts tomorrow” Crowley only dug his heels in on the matter, his slim smile unperturbed with Azuls rebellion even after he had already stated he could not go. “It is also well past curfew for all of you!” Crowley turned to address the rest of his students. Turning in such a way that he was now behind Azul and effectively creating a wall between the Octavinalle Housewarden and the mirror to the main campus.
His hands were placed gently on his shoulders to guide him away, but there was no tender comfort in his hold. It was light but firm, cold even. Less of a guiding parent and more of a demand. One that was not up for discussion. It made a shiver run up Azuls spine, and he couldn’t help but shuffle forward as he was pushed towards the leech twins.
“I am glad we were able to find you and Rosehearts in a timely manner, and we didn’t have to involve island law enforcement, or parents-”He muttered the last parts under his breath. His tone much too sickeningly cheery for Azuls tastes.
While Crowley continued to mutter on about all the news coverage and the paper work that would onslaught him if this took more than a night, Azul turned to where Silver was standing. Stunned to see him nodding off. He supposed it was late…
“Uh, Silver?” Azul tapped his shoulder, clearing his throat and straightening back up when Silver jumped in surprise. His aurora colored eyes landing on him in innocent confusion.
“I apologize, I nodded off again. Were you saying something?” Silver rubbed at his eyes. Azul extended his hand out, Silver taking it as they exchanged a polite handshake.
“I was made aware that you were the reason the fairy was able to guide you to us, and resulted in our prompt discovery. I just wanted to offer my thanks, and if you might need anything I would be more than glad to offer my services!” Azul shook his hand eagerly, once more falling in to what he knew, what was normal for him on a not so normal evening. Scheming-er-simply thanking a fellow student for their help! If it meant they had better relations later on then it would merely be a very welcomed coincidence!
He felt Jade and Floyd snake up to stand on either side of him as he finally let Silver take his hand back from his handshake. He could practically envision the mischievous smiles crawling up the twins faces. Floyd’s sharp teeth splayed as he grinned lazily.
“Of course, I’m just glad I was there to help” Silver spoke with such sincerity that Azul had to stuff down the alarm bells in his head screaming that this was somehow a dig at him in some way. Silver was just so…genuine. It was unsettling. He wasn’t demanding anything in return like every other student here would. Azul hated it.
“Yes! Well thank goodness you were” Azul agreed with a toss of his hands in a playful gesture.
“Indeed, I was quite prepared to attack the poor fairy, if it weren’t for you I fear would have lost an ally” Jade dialed up the pity meter as he placed a hand over his chest, shaking his head side to side. To other they would have thought Jade was laying it on a bit thick. But Silver was rather gullible- ah- trusting.
“Yeah jellyfish, I would have had to walk around for hoursssss. That would have sucked” Floyd groaned at event the thought of having to stumble around in the woods all night. Fiddling with the black stripe of his hair.
“Anyways, we’ll let you return to your dorm. I am sure they are looking for you” Azul conceded with a ‘sympathetic’ smile.
“Ah. You’re right, I didn’t tell fa- Lilia where I was going” Silver fretted, pulling out his phone to check for any unseen messages. Relieved to see no missed messages. “Goodnight” Silver bowed his head, and promptly went up the steps of the Diasomnia mirror.
The Octavinelle trio was quick to follow suit. Crowley practically corralling them like a dog to sheep all the way to their mirror despite them not resisting. Azul stole one more momentary glance towards the main campus before he stepped through the cool surface of the dark mirror. Then all he could see was the bright coral and the Octavinelle dorm.
“Y’know, we could always wait a minute and sneak back to see goldfish” Floyd suggested as if it were the most obvious plan in the world.
“It’s not that simple” Azul sighed, immediately beelining it for the hallway to his room. His shower calling to him like the lull of a siren as the mud drying on his skin suddenly greatly irritated him.
“Uh, yeah, it is. Just gotta sneak in. We’ve snuck around campus a billion times before, sneak out sneak in. Easy” Floyd flailed his arms in exasperation. Itching for some excitement now that the night was finally beginning to calm down.
“The Headmage is no doubt still in the mirror chamber standing guard. He would not want wind of this getting to even more students. Then Coach Vargas would only turn us away at the infirmary door”
“I couldn’t have said it better myself Jade” The tiredness in Azuls voice was steadily growing more obvious. “Where's my jacket?” Azul suddenly realized as he remembered it wasn’t only his glasses he had entrusted to the Scarabian student.
“It is neatly hung up in your room right now. I did not think it was important enough to carry around, so I put it in your closet”
“Oh, good. The Scarabian student is spared then I suppose” They walked through the tunnel of glass, even the sea around Octavinelle seemed more agitated today. Was that even possible? The dorms were generally controlled weather wise.
Silence held between them as they trailed after Azul. His footsteps heavy, and filling the halls as he only repeated his desperate want- no! Need to take a shower. When they finally reached his room, he cocked a brow when Jade and Floyd didn’t go to their own room, instead squeezing their way into his.
“What is it?” Azul didn’t bother sitting around, puttering about moodily snatching up a change of clothes as Floyd flopped down onto his bed, and Jade more politely sat in the desks chair.
“You said you would go into detail at a later time” Jade supplied with a thin smile, placing his hands in his lap like a inpatient child waiting for story time.
“Well it’s later Azul, spill. What the hell happened while you were out there, goldfish looked like he had been caught in a hurricane”
“Do we have to do this right now? I’m tired, and I feel disgusting” Azul tried to evade, a shame burning in his chest at having to think about the cause of Riddles misfortune. He tried to wave off the knotting feeling with excuses, it was Riddles own choice to be a fool and jump out like that. It is not his fault. If Riddle got caught under the tree while pushing Azul out of harms way then that was his own decision. But, it didn’t relieve the feeling curling in his chest. He knows it was all due to his own incompetency, he would be as flat as a starfish right now if it weren’t for Riddle being more observant and not letting anger cloud his awareness.
“Yes now” Floyd rolled, shimmying around until he was lying on his side, messing up Azuls carefully tucked in blankets. “ You’ve been actin all weird ever since you got back” He grumbled, digging a hand up into his hair.
Azul huffed, taking the clean clothes in his hands and dropping them down on a clean part of his desk.
“If I tell you, you will have to leave afterwards and let me get some sleep” Azul crossed his arms, his face drawing into a frown when the two nodded in agreement. “Fine”
He told them everything that happened from the moment he ran up to that Scarabian student to when they arrived. He went into detail on the chase down the river, and the argument they had gotten into over staying still or heading back to camp. Then how the branch snapped and Riddle pushed him out of harms way. Resulting in his injuries.
Azul couldn’t help but pause at having to dwell on the bone chilling scream Riddle had let out after he was pinned beneath the tree. It’s pitch mixing with the taunting wind. But he quickly waved off the momentary lapse to continue.
He didn’t go into detail on the extent of the injury, just summarized it as “bad”. He explained how he had carried Riddle until they had come across a cave, which earned a snicker from both the tweels at imagining Azul having to carry anyone. He made a point of ignoring it, and the two tweels died down when Azul explained morosely how Riddle was freezing and quickly developed a sickness on top of his leg and being wet. Which wasn’t as pleasant as it might be for them.
“And this is when the fairy makes its special appearance?” Jade surmised, having leaned in throughout the story as he became invested.
“No, not yet. Don’t interrupt, I’ll get there” Azul glared, unappreciative of Jades interruption when Azul was already not thrilled to be telling the story when he just wanted to forget about it. He continued with a puff of annoyance. He went on to talk about how long he had stood out in the storm signaling for what felt like ages. Shooting fire up into the air.
“We didn’t see any of that” Floyd was the one to interrupt this time. Now splayed out over his bed with a leg dangling off its side.
“ I figured you hadn’t when no one came, but unlike you, the fairy did see it and was not exactly please”
Jade leaned back in his chair. His main purpose for interrogating Azul ike this finally coming up in the conversation.
Jade was pleasantly fascinated to hear the fairy had seen Riddle and Azul and just decided to help instead of immediately attacking. Floyd honestly couldn’t care less. The rest of the details Azul waived off as uninteresting and boring. And the tweels didn’t object. It was just Azul waiting around, so it wasn’t exactly fascinating stuff.
Finally, the Tweels seemed satisfied. Their curiosity satiated and now the whole situation bored them. So they left as agreed. And Azul could finally take a shower.
Azul reflexively patted his pockets to check for what would usually be in his pocket, like his phone or other items he needed. But he had a moment of pause as he actually felt something. He dug his hand into his pocket, and pulled out Riddles mages pen. Its red gem shining in the dim purple Octavinelle lighting as Azul rolled it about in his hand. Some mud was on it, no doubt transferred on via his own hands. But otherwise it was undamaged. Good, he didn’t want to have to pay for it replacement if he had managed to damage it.
He placed it delicately on top of his desk. He would deal with it tomorrow. There was nothing else he could do today.