Home Is Where The Heart Resides [Permanent Hiatus]

Chapter Fifteen

The fish boy awakens.

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"The one with tainted hands has grabbed ahold of him."

"Their magic dark as night is invading his mind."

" Their claws will grab at his soul and take him just like he did the rest."

"Resist young one, fight him well. Use your strength and battle this evil."

.

.

.

"Wake up Wilbur. The night is over... that's it darling."

Coming to, Wilbur's eyes blinked rapidly. The world had come into his view blurred, a mess of colors and shapes that were unfamiliar to him. Blobs of bright hues began to take structured forms, objects, and people around him now coming into focus before it. Suddenly, the world seemed right again. All it took was a few blinks of course.

"That's it, Good morning Wilbur."

"Welcome back to the land of the living Will."

A yawn overcame him as he shifted where he laid, a hand of his going to cover his mouth. The sight of two figures in front of him became clearer as his mind continued in its efforts to shake off the haze of sleep that lingered. Sitting across from him were Hayden and Dream, sitting beside one another comfortably. Beneath them all laid blankets and quilts, Wilbur himself being supported by pillows of soft cotton and silk. Dream sat with his legs crossed, hands resting on his knees as his posture remained a bit slouched. The eldest of the three lounged about pillows, his head resting on a bandaged hand as he looked at Wilbur expectantly.

Pushing himself up, the brunette scooched himself over toward the nearest stable object. His hands gripped at it, what just so happened to be Dream's arm, and resumed his blinking. Nothing, in particular, was irritating him. No discomfort of any sort. It was silly, but something had just felt wrong. Dream's free arm, the one that wasn't being squeezed by Wilbur, had moved to briefly rub circles into his back.

"Good morning Hayden, Dream. Forgive me for my... well, my everything. I've seemed to have lost myself quite a bit."

It startled him just how hoarse his voice seemed. It had taken him aback, the raw state of it all. He hadn't remembered going to bed with a slight discomfort. A brief 'sorry' left him before he shut his lips firmly closed. His eyes scanned the room, looking for any sort of change. Surely enough, he remembered going to bed in the room given to him yesterday. The feeling of the sheets and blanket given to him was something he greatly needed after sleeping on a boat and outside for however many days it had been.

So just how did he get here then?

The confusion he was experiencing must have been clearly evident to the pair sitting before him as they shared a quick glance, the brief meeting of their eyes explaining everything that needed to be said without words.

"You went through your change, Will." Hayden paused to sit up, adjusting the shawl around their own shoulders before reaching over for a teacup placed on a small table. Steam rose from the cup, the liquid behind it rippling with movement. Grabbing it gently, the same bandaged hand from before guided the teacup and saucer to Wilbur's now awaiting hands, one now sporting a bracelet that replaced a beautiful green with dazzling purple. "It's to help with your throat. It's tea, chamomile to be specific. Do be careful with it, don't want you burning yourself like the rest of the others. Well, sapnap never had an issue with that. Lucky him."