Feathers & a Dash of Magic

Chapter 65: Two More Players Join the Fight

CW: monster hunters, panic attacks, blood, gruesome deaths (monster hunters)

Remus stomped onto the ground hard, causing a wall of dirt to rise just in time to block the gunfire. He ran around the wall he had created and raised his hands, green magic flowing around his arms as the grass around the hunters grew and grabbed onto them, pulling them down and keeping hold. Werewolves jumped onto them and tore them apart, blood flying everywhere as their screams faded.

The witch ran back to another wall of dirt he had created earlier, a small shelter. Kayden was hiding behind there, shaking hard as he cried in fear. Cynthia was trying to comfort him, but it was difficult without words.

"Hey, Kayden," Remus cooed over the shouting. "It's going to be okay, just breathe, Jan should return soon."

"I-I don't wanna go back!" Kayden shouted, curling in tighter as he covered his ears. "I-I don't wanna!"

"No one will let them take you! It's going to be okay, let's just get you to town, okay?" He looked over to Cynthia, who looked just as helpless as he felt. "Can you stand for me, Kayden?"

The centaur shook his head, tears and snot covering his face. He opened his eyes only to shout in fear at the nearby gunfire. Remus frowned and looked out from the shelter, seeing a hunter pointing a smoking rifle at a vampire who had a hole in their shoulder.

The witch growled and swung his arm down, cutting the rifle in half with wind magic. The hunter looked over in surprise just as he was attacked by the vampire they had injured. Remus turned away as he screamed in pain, focusing instead on Kayden.

"Hey, Kay you gotta get up for me," he continued to push. "I'll protect you, but you need to get out of here. Cynthia will help you, she's going to come with us."

The centaur let out another sob, but nodded this time. He wiped away his tears before standing on shaky legs. Cynthia grabbed his prosthetic and helped put it back on. She took one arm and Remus grabbed the other, the two of them helping Kayden make his way to town. There were still too many hunters around, but they were all preoccupied thanks to the vampires and werewolves.

Then Remus saw smoke rise from the other side of town. And then another column of smoke in another direction. More began to appear, surrounding the town completely. Of course, the hunters were attacking from all sides.

He looked back to see if there was an opening for retreat, but more gunshots sounded from behind them. He frowned in worry before they continued making their way to town. It was their only escape for now, but soon it would be overrun. The hunters were pushing them to the middle. They needed a break in the tight circle they had around them.

~~~

"Breathe, just breathe," Patton cooed, rubbing Virgil's shoulder. He had moved from the wheelchair onto the couch to comfort his brother, but it wasn't working. The fairy was curled up tight, coughing hard for air as he cried.

"C-ca-ca..." He whimpered, trying to speak before breaking into another coughing fit. Darrell tried to squirm his way onto Virgil's lap, but he was curled up too tight.

"Everything is going to be okay, you're going to be okay. Just take a deep breath for me, alright?"

Virgil whined and shook his head, his arms wrapped around him but his fingers couldn't curl to grab anything. Roman was gone, he wasn't there, and there were hunters everywhere. People were getting hurt, they were dying, and the hunters were going to find them and take him away again. He wasn't safe, he can't ever be safe! Never again, they won't let him be safe.

"Virgil, you're going to pass out if you don't breathe," Patton warned. He looked around desperately for something to calm his brother, there had to be something. "Can you name five things you can see for me?" He shook his head, making Patton's heart break. "Can you try? I know it's hard, but I need you to try."

The fairy looked up from the shaking ball he had curled himself into. "I-I..." His eyes scanned the room. "Bo-books... t-table... wa-wall?" He looked over to Patton, who nodded encouragingly. "Y-you..." He looked down, pulling the cloak around him tighter. "R-red..."

"Okay, four things you can touch?"

"Cl-cloak... D-Darrell... I-I don't-" Virgil started to hyperventilate, tears coming to his eyes faster.

"It's okay, you're doing good, just keep going! Two more, what else can you feel?"

Virgil put a shaky hand over Patton's. "Y-you... cl-clothes..."

"Three things you can hear?" Patton squeezed his shoulder.

"Sh-shouting... wh-why...? Wh-why a-are they do-doing th-this?" Virgil curled up more on himself.

"I don't know, Vee, but I need you to keep going. Two more things you can hear?"

"Y-you ag-again... bre-breathing..."

"Two things you can smell?"

"F-food an-and... smoke...?"

"Smoke?" Patton frowned, sniffing the air. There was indeed the faint smell of smoke coming from somewhere. He reached over to grab his wheelchair when there was a loud bang at the door. Not one that sounded like knocking, but the kind that sounded like someone trying to bash the door open.

Virgil tensed up at the sound of dogs barking, his mind buzzing with fear. He grabbed Patton's arm and there was another bang. The human gasped and grabbed his brother, pulling him down as the two fell to the ground the moment the door splintered open. The door fell to the ground and dogs ran in.

Darrell growled as Patton looked around for a weapon and grabbed a book from the table. He pulled Virgil closer, leaning against the couch as men ran in. A dog jumped over the couch, landing on the glass table before slipping off.

A hunter ran into the living room, following the dog. Patton locked eyes with him for only a moment before throwing the book, the spine of the heavy book hitting him in the face. He shouted in pain, grabbing his nose before looking back down at them. He reached for his gun, making Patton gasp.

Before he could do anything though, Virgil pushed his hands out and wind magic flooded the room, pushing the hunter back and into a bookshelf. He fell to the ground, several more books following.

The dog growled at them, making the fairy jump and push himself back. Patton put an arm in front of him and growled back at the dog.

"Bad boy!" he shouted, making the dog falter for a bit.

They heard more footsteps behind them and Virgil looked to see more hunters. Before they could do anything however, Darrell grew and attacked them. Their bullets bounced off of him as he tore them apart.

Patton crawled over to where the closest knocked out hunter was, grabbing a whistle that was hanging from a bracelet on his wrist. Several dogs moved from around the couch and Virgil jumped back in fear, trying to move closer to Patton.

"Virgil, cover your ears!" his brother warned, putting the whistle to his mouth. The fairy did so, curling up some more as an ear splitting sound filled the room. The dogs whined and backed up before Patton stopped. He pointed to the ground and commanded, "Down!" The dogs obeyed, sitting down. "Good boys, now stay."

"We-we ne-need t-t-to help," Virgil told Patton. He grabbed onto the couch and struggled to stand, his legs shaking way too much.

"You can barely stand! You're going to hurt yourself!" Patton argued, making his way back over slowly. He slipped the whistle onto his wrist in case the dogs started to act out again, they looked confused and restless.

Virgil managed to stand before falling onto the couch. He sighed in frustration, looking around for something to help. He spotted a potted plant as Patton climbed back onto his wheelchair. Well, maybe his legs and hands weren't working how he wanted them to, but his magic was working just fine.