Feathers & a Dash of Magic

Chapter 30: Late Night Talks

CW: nightmare, slight gore and burns, choking, implied "death" (small authors note at the end about that one, though it's a spoiler)

"Remus!" Roman shouted, bags on his back as he ran through the farm. The wheat grabbed at his clothes, breaking off and getting stuck in some places. He needed to get to his brother, he had to get there before he was too late! He fucked up bad.

He didn't know how long he had been running, his legs felt heavy and slow. He had to keep moving though, he had to find his brother first. The monster hunters, who knows what they'll do to him.

"Let me go you motherfuckers!"

Roman's heart dropped. That was Remus's voice, where-? Oh no...

The witch saw his twin, arms being held behind his back as he struggled to get out of their grips. His hair was tied back, some loose locks falling in his face. He had the beginning of a mustache, for some reason he was obsessed with having one as a kid, though blood from a cut on his lip smeared into it.

Roman tried to run forward, but his feet sunk into the ground. He whimpered in fear as he attempted to continue moving, but it was like the ground was holding onto his legs, pulling him deeper.

"Remus!" he shouted, reaching out.

His brother looked up at him, anger being replaced by hurt, which quickly morphed into hatred. "You killed me! Why didn't you help me!" he screamed.

"No, no no!" Roman pulled on the wheat to pull him out, his legs having completely sunk in as his vision was obscured by the plants.

Before he knew it, he was falling through the ground. It was dark in the dirt, but he was only in there for a few seconds, falling as fast as he would if he was in the sky. He somehow got turned around, and before he squeezed his eyes shut as he braced for something.

Only whatever it was, it never came. Instead he found himself in a forest, a very familiar one.

"Roman!" a terrified voice screamed. He spun around and saw Virgil on the ground, being held down by hunters with their faces hidden in the shadows. The witch saw a glint of metal as his friend cried, trying to get free. With teary eyes, the fairy shouted, "Help me! Please help!"

"Virgil!" Roman tried to run to him, but something grabbed him by the waist and pulled him back. He looked down to find a branch wrapped around him. The roots by his feet latched onto him, growing and binding him there. "No, let me go!" He tried using his magic to control it, but it wasn't working. The plants wouldn't listen to him!

"Roman help!" Looking up he saw the fairy reaching for him with his only free hand, the other being held down next to his side. The hunters were holding onto his wings, keeping them still as metal was placed against where the wings and his back met.

Struggling to tear the plants off of him, Roman watched with horrified eyes as Virgil screamed in pain. Smoke came off of the knife as it burned into his skin and feathers, being pressed deeper.

"Let him go! Let him go!" he pleaded, the plants still growing around him. He felt it wrap around his neck and squeeze, cutting off his air. He pulled and tugged, still trying to desperately use his magic. "No, let V-" He couldn't speak, he couldn't breathe. "Virgil..."

The branches grew all around him, covering his eyes and blocking everything out as the last bit of air left him for dead. Keeping him from helping-

Roman gasped as he sat up, shaking as tears filled his eyes. Taking shaky breaths, he pressed the heel of his hand into his eyes to stop his crying. He felt a small wet nose nudge his arm, hearing a soft trilling sound.