Work Text
The volume of the voices coming from behind the carriage was impressive to large feats, but that was likely between how well the travelers had known each other or the mountain range causing every word to echo as if the mountain range was baiting the argument to get worse. Challe grit his teeth pushing the curtain open, “You fool.” He hissed stomping towards the mountain range. He wondered what it was about that scarecrow that had gotten him so riled up. He wanted to see Anne in a rage, argue back and forth with him. He wanted to see all sort of emotions cross through her face. Those eyes so angry at him, but only looking at him, only thinking about him. But she was a fool stopping here for the night was the worst place, he didn’t want to stop here. Not so close. Not so close to the place he had been born. He grit his teeth. Why couldn’t he just say it? Anne had always been curious about him. She would want to go if she knew the truth. But it was the last place she wanted to be. The little girl’s eyes whose curiosity had created him flashed through his mind. This was the same place they had killed her. He couldn’t trust these foul humans not to do the same to Anne. Challe ran a hand through his hair, “Fine. But we leave as soon as the sun is up. I’ll deal with the animals at our perimeter.” He hissed harsher than he wanted to. He had wanted to see the anger in her eyes, the rainbow of emotions that she was constantly and openly expressing, yet why did those waterworks twist in his chest? She was looking right at him and nowhere else like he had wanted, yet it pissed him off. Challe stomped away from the carriage, deciding that dealing with the perimeter of approaching predators would put his mind at ease. Or at least be a good enough distraction from his own inability to say what he meant. His sword glided through the monsters that approached him, blood flinging through the air, anyone who had seen the scene would call what was happening here both beautiful and tragic. He was sure that the monsters thought they had the upper advantage in numbers against him. But the poor things didn’t realize the kind of life he had lived to give him an advantage against so many. Challe took a breath watching the air solidify floating towards the moon, letting his blood-soaked sword shatter back into its other form. An unnatural calm finally taking over him as around his feet laid the corpses of his enemy. A warning sign to not dare attempt to approach the cart. He wasn’t afraid of an enemy approaching, he could handle it. But listening to Anne scream in fear wasn’t something he wanted. Challe clicked his tongue trying to insist that the noise was annoying instead of the fact that someone had upset one of his people being the situation. Laughable, other fairies would laugh at him, he was finally free, yet he chose to stay because he was curious. Curious about a young human. Anne took up too much of his mind. If he kept letting this happen, he knew that he would lose. Humans didn’t live as long as they did, even if he kept her inside a box, safe from anything that could possibly look at her wrong, not that he’d be able to, age would still take her. It was like he was asking to get hurt. Something burned inside him that he wasn’t quite ready to name. That he knew once he identified the feeling only hurt would follow. “Anne.” His voice came out in a soft whisper, gentler than he had ever spoken to her, disappearing up into the air of the moonlight night. Challe ran a hand through his hair, glancing towards the pile of corpses wondering if this would be enough to keep any bandits or starving animals away, that might see the fire Anne was starting for dinner. Or at least she should have been. A frown lined his face as he glanced towards the carriage marks that almost aligned with their own. They were being followed. This wasn’t the first time they had been followed. But it was never with good intentions. He squinted, glancing at the cart, it looked familiar. Challe found himself displeased with the presence flowing off the cart, it was overly familiar. A presence that had been there during the start of their journey. It was unlike him. Challe found himself moving faster than he had before. The wind tossing his hair around as he moved back towards the cart. The journey back towards the cart feeling farther than how he had gotten out there. He could feel his voice soar from the arguing match he had just gotten into with Anne as he called her name hurrying back towards the camp. He paused, glancing towards the carriage, logs for tonight’s dinner thrown haphazardly through the site, a sugar barrel knocked over, and the knife Anne typically used for decorating covered in blood. Challe’s heart was in his throat as he scrutinized the messy campsite, an unnatural silence overshadowing him in response. “Anne?” His voice was the softest he had ever heard it been. Mythril Rid Pod laid unconscious near the scattered wood. Red lined his face. It was clear someone had hit him. Markings of something being dragged near him. “Anne!” He darted towards the camp site, wiping open her curtains, she wasn’t in there. Of course, she wasn’t. “Let go!” Challe could hear the fight being dragged further out towards the woods, behind the other cart. It was clear that the assailant either didn’t realize he was there or didn’t care. Or had known he would be gone for a while. They were being followed. Clearly, whoever it was had been watching them. They were purposely going after Anne. “Stop struggling, Anne, I promise it hurts less when you don’t struggle.” It was Jonas’ voice. He had betrayed them long ago, why had that fool come hunting them down? Other than the fact that he didn’t get his way the first time. Anne couldn’t have made it any clearer that she wasn’t going to marry Jonas. It was surprising to see someone with enough guts thinking he’d be let near her once again without any consequences after all he had already done. Challe let his sword summon with cool confidence as he approached the back of the cart quietly not to give his position away. “Challe, run.” Anne’s voice coughed out. His hand tightened on his sword, stepping out of his hiding spot as he darted towards Jonas. The sight in front of him running a cold chill through his veins. Anne’s socks being thrown near the fire, bruises covered her wrists as Jonas’ hands were around her throat. There was no question what Jonas was trying right now. A tear ran down the side of Anne’s face, Jonas’ hands refusing to let up on her throat even after she had clearly lost consciousness. He was going to kill him. Plunge his sword in his side repeatedly and make him understand the feeling of his heart wrenching inside his chest at this point exactly what it felt like seeing this situation. There was nothing Jonas could do to save his life. The only thing that would have made his torture easier was letting go of Anne’s neck. But from what he could see from the moment Jonas had seen him he had begun pressing down harder. “Stay out of human’s business, fairy.” Jonas snapped, clearly thinking that he was still under Anne’s control. There was no hesitation or humiliation in Jonas’ eyes on what he was doing. Jonas likely thought that he would take the opportunity to run. An unusual chill was wrapping around him, as though he was there yet not there at the same time, Challe could feel his sword dragging into the ground with each step he took towards Jonas, his voice rumbling out as he demanded with suave confidence, “Tell me Jonas, just what do you think you’re doing right now.” “What does it look like? I’ve always told Anne she was going to be my wife. I’m helping her realize she doesn’t have the right to refuse.” Challe wondered what kind of rage was boiling inside of him right now. It felt hot. As though if he were to take one more step he would incinerate to pieces. It felt cold. He felt as though his head was as clear as it had ever been. His head felt clouded as though this world had suddenly become a dream. “I hope you prepared your will. I’m going to make you understand you are being escorted to Hell.” A laugh escaped out of Jonas, “I’m kind of in the middle of something, I’ll offer you your freedom to run, now go.” Jonas’ dirty hand clearly searching around Anne’s shirt for his wing. A frown appearing on his face when he couldn’t find where he kept it. But deeper panic appearing when he found himself halfway across the campsite, a deep wound inside of his arm. Challe pressed the sword in ignoring the disgusting scream as he twisted. “Exactly what did you say you were doing to Anne?” He hissed. Anger boiled in his chest. Why hadn’t Anne called him earlier? Why had this fool thought he was good enough to even glance in her direction? Challe moved to the other hand, taking his sword to the center of the palm and stabbing. Another twist. The fool would need to beg a healing fairy to help him. The humans’ medical advances weren’t far enough along to save his hands. These dirty hands would never touch anyone again. The healing fairy likely would also consider a half-ass healing being able to detect the pure anger coming off of his wounds. And the humans will likely scatter noticing the anxiety suddenly coming from those they kept around them. A fate worse than death. That’s what he was carving into Jonas. Challe paused, twisting his sword again, clearly those Jonas kept as servants weren’t loyal enough to attempt to rescue him. His eyes scanned over him as though looking for a precious point, Jonas’ missing shirt giving more of an opportunity to find a vein. Or merely miss it.A twisted smile coming to his face, he leaned down, whispering to Jonas, “Run like cattle. I’ll enjoy hunting you. Live your days in fear knowing that the minute I lay eyes on you, your fate is going to be worse than you could ever imagine. You’ll miss how gentle I just was when I find you again.” A twisted smile ran through his face. Ah. This was more like himself. No manners and dark threats. Why had he been so gentle with Anne? Why had he stayed the entire time? He knew his heart was going to wrench itself to pieces. He couldn’t take this anymore. Why did this keep happening? Someone help him. Why had he been born into such an existence? It was so full of blood, death, and betrayal. Who wanted to live like this? Anne had smelled of sugar and revibrated with laughter. A fresh take on the darkened world he had been living in. The way she looked at him made him wonder how she saw the world. She had seen the world through such clear and filtered eyes. He wanted to see the world that she was looking at. Full of laughter and sugar. And sculptures and art, and other’s happiness that reflected her own. “I was a fool.” He laughed, placing himself down in the snow being stained by Jonas’ blood. Someone would need to purify it in the morning. Challe wondered if he should finish the job here and now. At least hunting him down would give him at least a couple months of entertainment. Let the fool beg for remorse, watch him scramble and beg for pity like he had surely made his kind and those he cared for begged before. Make Jonas understand what he had just wrenched from Challe’s life was something he had never even deserved to be near. “Anne! Anne!” Mythril Rid Pod’s voice echoed through the open mountain range. Ah. Why had they come here? A place of tragedy. The humans kept killing each other and everything else they had laid their eyes on. Anne had given him such a different perspective of life this time. But surely that couldn’t last. Challe laughed to himself, glaring at the same range he had considered beautiful only minutes before, now disgusted him. He glared down towards his current prey begging for its disgusting despicable life. The words of that thing scrambling in front of him attempting to coerce him with weren’t getting to his ears. Jonas was completely unable to undo the damage he had done. This range would be a different color by morning and Jonas was going to provide the paint, too bad for him the sun had just set. Challe paused, letting Jonas try to scramble away, thinking he would be able to escape with his life. Pathetic. The way he scrambled, insincere words coming out of him, only wanting to live but not regretting his own actions. Challe found a dark emotion trembling through him a form of dark joy as he watched Jonas scramble away from him. Mythril Rid Pod’s voice, “Challe Fen Challe!! We’ve got to help Anne!” Mythril Rid Pod’s voice crashed into him like the frigid temperatures he controlled. Challe found himself turning away from his prey rushing towards Anne’s side. Her breathing was shallow-no-she had stopped breathing. Anne was rapidly losing color. Mythril Rid Pod was desperately moving, tears running down his eyes, “What are you doing?” “Humans call it CPR, but I can’t, I’m not strong enough.” “Move.” He had seen it before. He could do this. His hands moved shaking as he attempted to help Anne pump her own blood. “Come on, you stupid scarecrow, you’re supposed to scare off things that are scary.” He hissed, a disgusting feeling cracking under his hands, “Come on.” He hissed, careful with his overbearing weight knowing that he had more strength than most humans. “Mythril Rid Pod, find us the nearest human doctor, we should be close to the next town.” “I thought you didn’t want to go there.” “I don’t.” He was gone with the gust of cold wind following him. Challe felt sweat running down his face, this is exactly how he expected his night to go if they had gone into this town, staying on the edge was supposed to keep them safe. How did he not notice that they were being followed? Especially by someone who had attacked them before. It felt as though everything in her was cracking underneath his hands. He had to trust he knew what he was doing. If there was a single change to save her, he would take it. It felt as though hours had dragged by, he was sure that the sun would come up soon even if it wasn’t true his mind was mocking him with exhaustion trying to trick him with how much time had passed. Ushering him to stop. Telling him that he couldn’t take it anymore. He couldn’t. But he wouldn’t stop. Anne. Anne. He hadn’t been able to tell her yet how much he wanted her in his life. How the world seemed a little brighter when she was around. The minutes had felt like hours when finally, a soft breath escaped her, “Challe? I had the worst dream.” She whispered. It took everything in him not to yank her off the ground into a vicious embrace. His hands shook as he tried to determine the amount of strength he needed. The adrenaline in his brain going at such a speed he knew he would hurt her if he tried. “It’s okay, I always knew you’d come back for me. I wasn’t scared.” It took her a moment to get those words out, her voice hoarse as he gentle picked her up leaning her head against his chest. “We’re going to the town doctor.” “But you don’t want to go there.” She whispered as he set her in the carriage. “I don’t have a choice.” His hands were already around the reins as he ushered the horses forwards into the town. They wouldn’t leave her to die. He wouldn’t let them. It didn’t take him long to get to the local town doctor. Their speed was an unyielding fast, especially by the time he had gotten to town Anne had lost consciousness again. Gently he picked Anne up in his arms, kicking the doctor’s front door open, if he was asleep be damned. An old man’s gruff voice yelled down the stairs, “It is the middle of the night, if you are robbing this place again, I will rob you of everything you’ve ever considered precious!” A scalpel was flung down the stairs followed by a gruff old man and what Challe assumed was his irritated wife. “Where’s this town’s doctor?” Challe barked, shock on the elderly man’s face. The woman remained her composure, a face of a composed noble irritated at the disturbance but her eyes giving away her real emotions, “You must have good instincts you’ve come to the right house. Bring her to the back.” Challe nodded, slamming the door behind him, less of a courtesy and more of he would know if Jonas tried to open the door to come in. Hesitantly, he put Anne on the bed, the doctor and his wife ushering him out. “I can’t trust anyone with her.” “Fool. Wait in the hall.” The wife stood in the hallway, seemingly glaring at him. “What do you want old crone?” He hissed crossing his arms as he leaned against the door. It was clear that they had just come from a fight, and he had been covered in blood. He wondered if Jonas had already snuck in amongst their patients. “Did you do that to her?” Insult made him stand in anger, “I would never-“ “Many fairies try to get away and that girl clearly is too young to handle you. Did you do that and then regret it?” He hissed, “She was betrayed by one of the people from her hometown.” He hissed, anger boiling inside of him. He would never, “She already gave me my wing back long ago.” The old crone shook her head, “Why do you stay? Aren’t you afraid of her changing her mind? What about her?” “Tsk, your too nosey for an elder, don’t you think crossing that river will be easier with less baggage?” Laughter came from the old woman, “Maybe, but an elder needs something to entertain her while she waits. I had a friend like that when I was younger, miss her dearly. Take care of each other. I’ll get you two a change of clothes, I’m sure she’ll want a bath when she wakes up.” It felt as though hours had passed before the old man came out of the room, Challe stood immediately, “Is she alive?” The doctor cleaned his glasses, “Does she have any next of kin I can notify?” Challe found his hand around the old man’s collar, if he were any shorter his feet would be off the floor, “This horrid town can’t even do something as basic as train competent doctors, it’s about time it fell off the map.” His voice was hoarse, “The girl is alive. I’m asking because I need to make sure someone else besides her is aware of basic care instructions for the next several weeks.” Challe let out a soft noise of annoyance putting the man back on the floor, why would this old fool choose that wording? “She has none. I’m her traveling companion.” “I guess I can tell her companion fairy, but it’s best that someone else besides just her is aware.” “I’m not her companion fairy. I’m her traveling companion, she does not carry my wing.” The doctor’s eyes widened, before nodding, “I’m glad I’ve lived long enough to see this in my life, but who else were you two with? I feel horrid for assuming, but with this girl is covered in you’d think-” The doctor tried to hide a suspicious glance towards him, Challe attempted to press down the bile in his throat at the thought. This couple thought he had attempted to do that to Anne. There was no way he would ever do something that despicable. “It was someone she had considered her friend a while ago. They had betrayed her a long time ago. Fool thought he could force his way back into her life.” “I need a description; I will turn it into the authorities. Remember I’m a doctor if he comes here you will need to get the police yourself as my position is to do no harm.” A faint dark smile traced on Challe’s face, “I doubt he’ll make it this far without help.” The doctor nodded before changing the topic, handing him several bottles, “Give her these she’s to take one every eight hours, I recommend before and after going to sleep. She can take it with any food or drink. Also, it’s going to be hard for her to speak for a while, trauma is sure to come up she should probably find a place comfortable to settle until her mind has calmed down. Anyway, we’ll monitor her throughout the night, if nothing else occurs your group is free to leave in the morning.” “I understand. What is your fee?” “Let my wife and I live.” “We didn’t come here to kill you. Let me know your prices in the morning I’ll talk to Anne.” “For now, just go sit with your companion.” The doctor prodded away letting him shut the door behind him. Challe found himself sitting next to Anne, taking her hand in his, letting his forehead rest on it. Her voice was hoarse as she called for him, “Challe? Are you okay? You didn’t get hurt, did you?” “You’re a fool. How would I get hurt? Why didn’t you call for me?” He could feel his voice rising but he couldn’t stop himself, “In times like that you should demand someone helps you.” Her voice shook, eyes unsteady as she looked away from him, “I…your precious to me, I didn’t want you to get hurt.” Anger boiled in his chest, “You brought me into your life to protect you, you know for a fact I’m stronger than you!” Tears bubbled at her lashes as she attempted to hold them back, “I don’t want to use you as a shield. I want you to be my friend, who uses their friends as a shield?” “Friends protect each other when they’re in trouble.” He hissed; he didn’t understand why this concept was so hard to understand. Anger rolled off his breath, the only person she had introduced to him was that scum from her hometown. Was everyone she knew like this? Her hands covered her face, “I’m sorry we fought earlier, I’m sorry you had to go to this town anyway. Where’s the next town?” There was no way Anne was in the right mind as she tried to stand up getting ready to go in the darkness of the night. “Anne.” Challe whispered taking her into his arms, pulling her closer. He could feel her now beating heart strumming through her chest, “Rely on me.” She nodded. Tears finally flowing down her face. Anne was warm. She was like ember, glowing against the sunlight. Her existence reminded him that there was warmth in this world. Gently he tried to make sure his strength wasn’t too tight as he embraced her. He wouldn’t let anyone snatch this warmth, from him again. This warmth that made even the darkest of his nights just a little brighter. If he was made of obsidian, then she would have been made of sunlight. And he would do anything to keep her safe.