Under My Wing (Is Where You Belong)

Chapter 4: Distant, Separated, Remembered Human

Disclaimer: This chapter will have timeskips of a couple years. It will start going after from the end of this chapter, then into Laurance at 14, then 15, 16, and lastly, 17-18. There will also be a few cameos of certain other characters, let's see if you can guess them all.

Laurance's eyes glistened as Joh put down the food in front of him. There was the meat that Laurance was used to, but there were berries and bread beside it. He seemed to chuckle quietly as the boy dug in, and if he was surprised or disgusted, his eyes didn't betray that. All they held was a gentle softness.

"Hungry are you?"

Laurance nodded. Thanks to Ungrth and his fight, he hadn't really had the chance for dinner yet, and Ungrth had been silent until the moon had come up.

Joh chuckled, walking out of the room, leaving the teen to his own devices. He looked about, smiling. The home- house- was large yet homely. He was sitting in the main seating area, and there were rooms nearby. One, he could see, held armor and weapons, probably a small personal barracks for the lord. Another looked like a study, and then upstairs was most likely where his bedroom was.

He wondered where he'd sleep tonight. He'd never been without the wyvern's warmth before, without his wing curled around him, his tough yet gentle scales to lean against, the tail to carefully put a hand on.

Laurance looked down at the plate, now empty from the food that had been in front of him. It's best if I leave now, I don't want to overstay my welcome...

As Laurance stood, he clutched his chest, collapsing on his knees. A burning pain pushed through him, eyes wide and filled with tears. It burned, and it HURT . It felt like claws were pulling apart his heart, and when it stopped, even though he had no clue what had happened moments before, all at once he understood.

Ungrth had broken their Companion bond.

He'd disowned him.

He was alone.

Laurance sobbed, still on his knees. He'd lost the family he'd known for his whole life. The wyvern that he remembered looking at him as a baby, before flying off. The wyvern that had kept him close, did his best to make sure the boy survived.

It's your fault, a sickening voice crooned in his ear, tickling and stabbing at his head, why would he keep the bond when it's clear you don't want him...?

But he'd wanted to go back. Laurance knew once he calmed down they'd be okay. Or at least, he'd hoped they would. He hadn't registered Joh's reappearance until there were hands on his shoulders, and blue eyes looking worried.

"Are you alright? What happened?" His voice was taught with worry and fear, and for a boy who he'd only just met?

Laurance cried harder.

He didn't move as Joh brought him into his arms, warm and safe and gentle.

He didn't say a thing as Joh (very miraculously) picked him up, carrying him upstairs to a spare room, tucking him under the warm blankets.