❝ I can't save us ❞
in which the Foxling and the Codfather exchange
trades, looks, and blue orchids in a world of war,
death, and political alliances.
❝ my Atlantis ❞
( male!oc x solidarity )
( empires smp...
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FORGOTTEN ORCHIDS | CHAPTER THIRTY-EIGHT
BY THE TIME ATTICUS WAKES, the sun has set in Vulpesterra on what he believes to be the same day as Xornoth's attack. The castle was lit only by candles and the fireplace across the room, which he recognized as the infirmary—he had been spending too much time there, in his opinion, and it was getting tiring to see the same walls and windows. It wasn't even a day for a checkup that he had promised Jane he would do—that wouldn't be for another three days!
As he lay there, breathing in slowly, Atticus wondered why he was on a cot. Then, slowly, the memories came back—Xornoth, the attack, the feeling of his lungs being crushed by the corrupting vines. He could feel it, now; breathing in was painful, though not as bad as he was expecting. Moving brought nothing but pain, and Atticus was sure that he was covered in bruises that wouldn't heal for weeks.
He'd passed out. Before that, though, Jimmy and Scott had arrived. Jimmy had held him. He'd spoken, though Atticus couldn't remember a word he'd said.
Atticus turned his head, and his hope of seeing Jimmy diminished when he found only Scott looking back at him. Scott offered him a reluctant smile that did nothing to soothe Atticus' worries, but he gave one back anyway. He tried to sit up, but Scott was faster, pushing Atticus back onto the bed before Atticus could move more than an inch.
"Don't," Scott warned. "He's not here. I sent him home."
Atticus closed his eyes and tried to relax, finding that the more tense he was, the more pain he was in. "How long was I out?" he asked instead of thinking about how Scott knew he was looking for Jimmy.
"Two days. If he stayed any longer, he wouldn't have gone home," Scott said. "Do you remember what happened?"
Atticus nodded, opening his eyes and looking around the room as best as he could. He could see a couple dozen citizens in cots around the room, but not as many people as he was expecting. He raised his head when Scott instructed him to; Scott placed another pillow under his head, which confused Atticus until Scott brought a spoonful of mushroom stew to Atticus' mouth.
Atticus rolled his eyes but opened his mouth, letting Scott feed him only because no one else was watching. "The Codfather brought you here after you passed out. I finally sent him home after he started refusing sleep, so you'll probably have to visit him so he knows you aren't dead," Scott explained.
Atticus hummed in acknowledgment; he had already been planning on visiting Jimmy, but whatever excuse he could take for a stop into the Cod Empire, he would take it. "What's the damage to Vulpesterra?" he asked.
"The Cod Empire helped put out the fires. Maybe five houses and three businesses burned down, but about fifteen buildings in total were lost," Scott told him. "That's what I gathered from Jane, anyway. I can't tell you anything for certain."
