Chapter Text
They weren't sure how long since the last time they've rested at an actual shelter. Just their luck they stumbled upon an old cabin. By the looks of it, it seemed abandoned. The thick layer of dust was enough for the wizards to be convinced nobody lived there for a long time.
Their first order of business, clean up the place. Even though they were used to living outside and just resting about anywhere to escape the fairies, they still don't like the idea of sleeping in a filthy place. They only had to for a long time because they had no choice.
Gantlos couldn't sense any kind of magic here, that might mean whoever lived there before either wasn't magical or they could be but they had been gone for so long there's just no trace of their magic anymore.
He slowly stepped inside, but stopped when he heard a noise. Gantlos motioned for the rest to be cautious. However, one of them seemed to recognise the scent. Who else but Duman could recognise different scents? Duman immediately growled, even in his human form. Gantlos realised Duman has the tendency to do that, no matter which form he's in. It's also an indicator that something was wrong.
Motioning for the others to stay back, Gantlos went into the room where the noise came from. He couldn't see anyone, just some random items. He slowly stepped inside and froze in his place. He called for Ogron, attracting Duman's attention. Gantlos was quick enough to stop Duman from seeing what was inside the room.
He hurriedly passed a struggling Duman to Anagan and told them to stay put. Duman glared but stopped struggling. Anagan asks if everything was alright. Gantlos doesn't answer, something Anagan has come to know as Gantlos's way of saying 'no'.
Gantlos and Ogron made their way into the room. What they saw was horrific. The entire room was not stained in any way, but there was a dead body there. It was another fairy. This fairy had her wings torn off, a slit on her throat. It doesn't seem like it was done by anyone who was considered to be human.
"What do you think?" Ogron asks, curious about this entire situation.
"Can't be humans, they worship fairies too much to do this." Gantlos muttered just loud enough for Ogron to hear.
They could hear Anagan and Duman's voice outside. Mostly Duman's, he was trying to get out of Anagan's grip. Both Gantlos and Ogron didn't mind it until they heard Duman say he knows they scent. He recognises it as a fairy's scent. Footsteps were heard and Gantlos shut the door before Duman could enter.
The two of them didn't want the young one to see this. It's not that they think he can't handle it, but more the fact that they shouldn't let the kids be exposed to something this gruesome. The fairy's wings were torn off, but it wasn't a clean attempt. Her flesh came off as well. Whoever did this enjoyed delivering pain to the fairies. They weren't aware of the fact that whoever did this was still in the cabin, hidden among the shadows.
Outside the room, Anagan was holding onto a struggling Duman. The latter was making a fuss, kicking and demanding to be let down. Anagan held onto the kid even when his arms started hurting. Eventually, the kid stopped. But Anagan wasn't relieved. Duman was turning his head from left to right very slowly, as if he heard something. Anagan was not ready when Duman shifted into a bat and chased after whatever he heard.
"Hey!" Anagan called out and ran after the kid.
Inside the room, all Gantlos and Ogron could hear was the chaos that was happening outside. Mainly sounds of running and then something falling and breaking, occasional sounds of crashing followed. Gantlos took a deep breath before opening the door, allowing Duman to slip right past him. Panicked, he pulled the kid by what seemed to be his tail. Duman had been shifting left and right through different animals and Gantlos was holding onto the tail of a panther.
"Couldn't you hold still for just a second?!" Gantlos was getting seriously irritated with the kid.
Duman continued struggling before he shifted back into a human. He charged right towards the fairy but was stopped by Ogron, who held him tightly. He saw the body, he saw who it was. It was making him upset. He wanted to go near her, to go near the fairy, he wanted to be next to her for the last time.
"No! Let me go! That's tia!" Ogron ignored the kid and stood up, carrying a wriggling bear cub this time.
The struggles and incoherent sounds coming from the kid soon died down and he started crying. The moment they were out of the room, Anagan snatched Duman from Ogron's arms while glaring at the two older wizards. He went to hide in a corner while trying to calm the kid.
Gantlos turned to Ogron and motioned him to follow. They ended up in what seemed like a kitchen. The interior was destroyed and the only thing recognisable was the old stove that somehow managed to survive whatever happened here. Gantlos leaned against the counter as he waited for Ogron.
Ogron was not at his best right now. A few months ago he was almost burnt alive, he was saved by a wizard who doesn't seem to share much about himself, they decided to risk their lives for two minors they barely knew just because they were Wizards as well, and now they're on the run just to survive. What else could go wrong at this point? He truly doesn't want to know. Some days he just wished he had died in that fire. Today was one of those days.
"You realise what the kid called the fairy?" Ogron was surprised at Gantlos's words. He also wished the blond would stop calling Duman 'the kid'.
"He knows who the fairy is then?" he turned to see Duman clutching onto Anagan's coat, still crying.
"That's not a name, red."
Anagan was currently humming a little tune to try and get Duman to calm down. He knew who the fairy was. 'Tia' wasn't a name, it was a title. Though in this case, they might not be related but she was one of the fairies who saw nothing wrong with Duman. She was also the one who would secretly care for him whenever the kid's mother wasn't around.
Duman had slowly gave in to sleep. His mind and body exhausted from the emotional distress. How could anyone blame him? First he lost his mother, then he gets hunted, now he's lost his aunt as well. Anagan couldn't help but wonder what life could've been like for Duman if he had a normal childhood.
He could see the occasional glances from the two older wizards. He knew they were most likely talking about Duman. Though he wasn't sure what it was about exactly, he knew they were discussing what to do about him at this point. Duman had ties to the fairies, even if it's just a few of them. This could mean trouble for all of them.
Whatever they chose to do, Anagan vowed to keep his promise to Duman's mother. Even though it wasn't officially a promise to begin with, he would do his best to make sure Duman survives. He's been watching Duman grow for a few years now, what's a few years more? He doesn't even mind watching over Duman for the rest of his life if it meant he was safe. There's something about Duman that makes him worried, and Anagan isn't sure what it is.
"You can't possibly be thinking of doing that!" Ogron's voice was loud enough for Anagan to hear.
He placed Duman, who was now sleeping, on the dusty couch and made his way towards the two older Wizards. He could hear they were arguing and judging by the tone they used, it was very heated. Anagan braced himself for the worst, but even he wasn't prepared for what Gantlos was saying.
"He's a danger to us all! His magic is unstable enough, but the fact that we might have fairies trying to kill us because of him? We are risking our lives for a kid we don't even know!" Anagan's heart shattered at what Gantlos was suggesting.
He hurriedly rushed back to Duman to scoop him up. While the two were still bickering, he made his way out. He wasn't going to risk the life of a child no matter what. He didn't care if the child was the reason he'd have to run the rest of his life. That was the kind of person he was.
Anagan had doubted his actions but decided this was the best. It was nice of Ogron and Gantlos to let them follow, but it was clear the latter did not like this one bit. Why bother to stay with them when Duman isn't welcomed? He knew they wouldn't mind him, but to ask him to leave Duman behind was sending the kid to a fate that was worse than death.
"So that's it then... We just leave the shapeshifter? Let him be found and possibly killed? That's what you want for him?!" Ogron was sure he's never once talked to Gantlos this way before but he isn't willing to hurt Duman the same way he was hurt before.
"What do you think is better? Just let him lure trouble towards us? We need to survive out here and he's not making this any easier!" Gantlos was frustrated that Ogron wasn't getting the point.
Ogron shook his head and turned to walk back to where he came from. He stopped before leaving entirely, not to face the blond, but to say something that made Gantlos question his stance in this situation.
"You should've just let me burn then... I was the reason we ran into those two."
With that said, Ogron was gone. Gantlos was left to think about the choices he made and the words he said.
It didn't take long before Ogron rushed back to Gantlos, worry etched on his face. The same look he wore when they first encountered Nebula. The words Ogron said next left Gantlos worried as well.
"They're gone!"
The two of them left in a hurry, intending to find the speedster and the shapeshifter before they were caught. If they were caught by fairies, it could mean instant death, which is much more merciful than what the humans would do to them.
The moment Gantlos stepped foot out of the door, the speedster crashed right into him. Ogron jumped away right at the last minute to avoid being dragged down along with the blond.
Gantlos cursed and sat up, wanting to question Anagan's behaviour that seemingly popped up from nowhere. But something stopped him. Anagan was panicking. The teen was panicking and his breathing was quicker. Something happened to him. Was it fairies? Did the humans find them? It took the blond a while to realise Duman was missing.
"He took him... He took him... He took him..." Anagan was chanting the same phrase over and over, eyes wide and fearful.
Ogron and Gantlos could only wait for Anagan to calm down before asking who he was referring to.
Meanwhile, Duman was currently with someone else. This person claimed they were a wizard as well and told Duman he would be safe if he goes with him.
"Where are we going...?" Duman asked right before dozing off once more.
The figure merely smiled, seeing how tired Duman was. He was just glad to have his son back with him. No one would ever take him away again. He knew Duman wouldn't hear his answer, but he just wanted this last bit of satisfaction.
"Home"