1x1?

[pudding]

The time it took for the Fae to emerge was clearly not fast enough. Impatient and shivering now, the god looked helplessly at the small figure, holding the limp body of Aedus in his grasp. Clearly not cold, and likely incapable of feeling that particular sensation in the first place, the deity's eyebrows were raised and his eyes wide in concern. But what was more than that, he did not know why. Creatures died, especially these mortal ones. He'd seen it happen so many times before and the cycle of life and death was not something he disliked. It was natural for those who were not ageless. But here, holding such a mortal creature in his arms as his life slipped away from him and he felt emotions that hadn't been present in his life for as long as he could remember.

 

Panic.

Fear.

Worry.

Sympathy?

Regret.

 

Following the Fae quickly inside the manor, he relinquished his hold on Aedus, though not without a pang of something striking his chest as the warm body was pulled away from him. Unknowing what to do, he awkwardly found a seat in a corner of the room, trying to stay out of the way as the Fae worked. But his blue eyes followed the scene as he worked, taking in everything as he tried to understand what was going on.

 

"I don't know what to do," He replied, his voice slightly hoarse. What was wrong with the creature? What was the meaning behind the Fae's words? What did the other god's words mean? There were too many questions and he hardly knew what to do about them. "I brought him here for you to fix him. I don't even know what he is."

[shadow_claw]

((Did you add that little Sans all for me?

))

 

The fae continued their work, peeling off both a coat and shirt in order to get to Aedus's bare chest. Turning toward the nearby cauldron they dipped their hands in the cold liquid, and hurriedly traced a symbol across his bare chest. Adding to the sun scorched onto his chest, they drew a crescent moon nestled beneath it, and chanted softly. The Fae drew the same symbol over the half-breed's forehead, chanting the whole time. Both symbols glowed for a few seconds, before they faded.

"There. That should keep it sealed for some time. You should recognize that spell, as it is your own." The child didn't put Aedus's shirt back on, but instead placed a nearby blanket over him.

 

"Have you ever heard of the concept of reincarnation?" As they spoke, the room around them warped once again. This time, however, they were inside Aedus's shed. "There was believed to be not one but two beings in the dawn of all time. Two that were so closely bonded, they were often one." The Fae's gaze turned to that of the god's, scathing over the being with a calm, yet burning intensity. "They each had two children, one of the water, of land, and one of the fire, and of air. The two beings you shaped, the two you formed in your image...they are my Aedus. Both human and mer. And this symbol...there is no coincidence."

 

"If two halves have been separated...can they become whole once again?"

[pudding]

((

 

....maybe))

 

The god watched in surprise as the Fae used a spell of his own. It was one he had not attempted in some time, mostly due to the inability to properly cast it, and also due to the lack of any reason to use it. He never had a reason to and it drained too much energy to be considered useful in a daily setting. As the scenery around them changed and twisted, the god closed his eyes and leaned his head back against the wall. Even as the room settled back down, he was still sitting in a corner. But he slowly stood tugging at the scarf that covered his mouth.

 

"The world is old," he replied, refusing to make eye contact with the Fae. Instead, he kept his gaze downwards, staring at his own two feet and the boots he wore. His fingers were burned slightly and his bandaged arms would need to be rewrapped but he pushed those thoughts away until later. "But I remember much of my time here. I don't remember anyone else, or at least no one like what you describe." Of course, there was the subject of his fall. Gripping his own arms tightly, he leaned back, against a wall. Glancing up at the Fae with his blue eyes, the god bit his lip then slowly shook his head. "I should remember someone like that. I would remember someone like that. I can't believe those tales are anything more than legends."

[shadow_claw]

(())

 

Did you forget, or have you simply repressed these thoughts?" The Fae's gaze lingered on the god for only a few seconds before they returned their focus to Aedus. They lifted the young man yet again, this time settling him onto his own bed. His boots were carefully untied and set beside the bed, and he was tucked in. Although Fae had little concept of love, caring for a pet was one notion they understood well. Once they had Aedus comfortable, their eyes narrowed. "If you do not recall the truth, I can make you."

 

Two fingers gently brushed the surface of Aedus's forehead, and he stirred. "Tell me your name." The Fae ordered in a soft voice. His nose wrinkled, but he croaked a response.

"Aedus."

"No, child, your true name."

This response took longer, as conflict emerged on the unconscious half-breed's face. Moments of silence, and a name rang throughout the shed.

"Pallian."

 

[pudding]

The god shifted uncomfortably at the accussation, turning his head away and refusing to look at either of them. At the first look, he shivered slightly. But under the second glare from the Fae, the god downright trembled. No. Surely not. He knew who he was and he could remember so much. Why would he forget an entire person? How could he? If they were so important to him, it didn't make sense. He had to know if someone like that was missing from his life.

"Pallian."

And just like that, the floor fell away from him. The god stumbled backwards, pressing himself against the farthest wall he could find, his skin itching like ants were crawling all over him. And then came the burning. His nails grabbed at his own skin as the sensation gripped him, like thousands of tiny needles were repeatedly being jabbed into his body. And worst of all was the pain in his head. It hurt, it burned him from the inside.

Pallian. Pallian. Pallian.

The name repeated over and over in his head as his knees gave out and he sank to the floor in a heap, his entire body shaking. No, no. No, no, no. Wrapping his arms around his stomach, he did his best to curl up into a tiny ball as he tried to fold in on himself as much as physically possible. "Don't look at me," he hissed. "Don't touch me. Don't look at me."

[shadow_claw]

"Very well. He is yours now. I expect the both of you gone by tomorrow." The child gave Aedus a long, gentle gaze, before vanishing from sight. This was no longer something one could keep bound. They would miss having another around to keep them company, but the Fae didn't want to invoke the wrath of a god.

 

---

 

Aedus slept peacefully, though he did not initially. It began as a feverish nightmare of being swallowed whole and torn apart at the same time. Through it all, there was a voice screaming, screaming for a name unknown to his tongue but familiar to his ears. And as soon as the last shred of his being was consumed, everything fell still.

 

When everything came back into view, he was holding hands with a stranger. He didn't recognize the man, but holding their hand...it felt right. He could feel the hum of everything around him, even the smallest of beings. Holding this man's hand...he knew they had made it all together.

 

When the dream slipped away, he was tucked rather tightly into his bed. His blanket was up to his nose, making very little actual visible. Yet, the blue tint to his skin was unmistakable. Pain throbbed in the back of his eyes, even at the low light in the shed. Blinking sleepily, Aedus pushed the blanket away and sat up. The rush of cold to his sensitive skin caused him to worm back under the blankets. No, he would rather stay under the covers. He could get up and do things later. His headache, and this terrible chill was too much to deal with today.

 

Had he fallen ill? Nothing else made sense. It wasn't often he was sick, but his acute sensitivity to the cold tended to make him sick if left exposed to the elements. Golden eyes peed out from under the blankets, drifting to rest on a figure hunched in the furthest corner from the bed. Was that the man from...when, exactly, had he fallen asleep? The previous day (or days?) had been a blur.

[pudding]

(())

 

It was in the corner that the god slept, his eyes closed in a surprisingly peaceful manner and the ends of his scarf draped loosely over his body like a ratty, old blanket. His body was still almost completely covered by his clothing and his head was resting on his arm in a way that looked horribly uncomfortable but he either didn’t care, or was so lost in sleep that he didn’t know. He body was curled up in the corner silently with his back pressed against the wall and his body facing the bed.

 

Unknowing that the other one in the room had woken up, the god continued to peacefully sleep. Clearly, he needed the rest since it appeared he was in a very deep sleep and likely wouldn’t wake up on his own for some time. The panic of the day before had overwhelmed him emotionally and his exhaustion was not so easily shaken.

 

 

[shadow_claw]

((---))

 

A few more minutes of dozing, and Aedus was no longer comfortable where he lay. He crawled out, sweeping the quilt around his shoulders. It was cold, much cooler than this time of year usually was. Webbed feet gingerly hit the wooden floor, and slipped into the boots beside the bed. He would have to tell his master that he was ill. He shrugged on a shirt, then his coat, before walking to the washbasin.

 

It was only then that he realized something was wrong. As soon as he dipped glanced up at the mirror, a cold shock hit him. Memories of the previous day hit him at full force. Gasping, Aedus staggered into the nearby wardrobe. The heavy armoire rocked precariously in the sleeping God's direction.

Aedus didn't realize what he did for a few moments.

 

In some fit of action, he had lunged forward, shielding the sleeping entity from the brunt of the wardrobe's force. Instead of crushing the young halfbreed, however, the solid piece of furniture was the first to be destroyed. Wood warped and splintered, before bursting into flame. It hardly even burned; the intensity of the spontaneous flames reduced it to ash in seconds. Only embers fell upon Aedus and the Valley behind him, coating the pair heavily in ash.

Edited October 26, 2015 by shadow_claw

[pudding]

 

The flames, while intense only for a few seconds, caused a significant amount of heat that startled the god out of his sleep. Awaking with a start, he flipped over quickly, shaking ash off his body, his eyes darting around the room in surprise before settling on Aedus. His wide eyes blinked several times before the god coughed loudly and began brushing ash and embers off his body, particularly away from his face. Despite the fact the embers were not that hot and the ash was already quite cool, the skin exposed to the both was already turning red and did not look very healthy.

 

"What happened?" He asked wearily, looking up at Aedus. He didn't seem to be trying to attack him, not unless being covered in ash himself was some kind of attack. Rubbing his head, he frowned then squinted down at his own, ash-covered body. It was like it had just appeared out of nowhere. It was certainly a rude awakening to his otherwise peaceful sleep.

[shadow_claw]

Shocked, Aedus sat still for a few moments as he tried to put all the pieces together. This...didn't make sense. Had he just done something involuntarily? He could hardly recall running over and sliding in front of this man-this man he hardly even knew! Why would he do something like that, ever? Coughing, he too shook the ash from his body. He stood, brushing away the remainder of the wardrobe from his blue skin.

 

"Are you okay?" These weren't the words Aedus expected to come from his mouth. Far from it, in fact. But it left his mouth before he even thought about it. "There's...there's a creek nearby. I can help you get washed off." It concerned him greatly that this stranger looked so awful. It made his chest tighten and breath grow short. "Please. You don't look well. Let me help."

[pudding]

The god looked a bit unnerved but nodded quickly. "I am fine," he replied, hunching forward slightly at the mention of getting washed off. He didn't really enjoy doing that around people. If his clothes were any indication, he really didn't like having others look at him. "I don't want to get my bandages wet," He replied with shake of his head as he stood up. Ash fell away from his body as he did his best to dust himself off, though the gray dust remained glued to several parts of his tunic and pants. Frowning slightly, he wiggled his toes in his boots then sighed loudly as he sat back down again nearby and began to wiggle off a boot to clear the ash out of it as well.

 

Inside of his boot, his foot was wrapped in white bandages as well. His toes were free to wiggle around but the white bandages covered the rest of his foot, likely in a very uncomfortable way judging from how tightly they seemed to be wrapped. As he worked, he looked back up at Aedus with a slight frown. He looked as though he was ready to say something but decided to refrain, instead focusing back on his other boot and getting the ash out of that one as well.

[shadow_claw]

Aedus brow furrowed as the man spoke. In this form, he hardly had any eyebrows. If not for a shiny layer of scales, they wouldn't stand out among the rest of his face. It struck the boy, then, that his reflection from before wasn't his usual illusion. No...this was him. His awful, actual appearance. Glancing down at his hands, Aedus brushed ash away to reveal blue scales.

"I...I didn't want you to see me like this. Like an...abomination." He muttered softly. Shame tinted his face a soft shade of purple.

 

"I have nothing else to hide from you. If you wish to clean yourself, so be it. If not, then I...will be outside." When Aedus opened the door, however, he was greeted by an unfamiliar land. They seemed to be deeper into the forest than the cottage itself. There was a creek, however. "I..." He trailed off, shock clear on his face. "Where are we?"

[pudding]

Judgement was not him, only one of his many children. Strictly speaking, any god that came after him due to his own creations were seen as his children, even he he didn't actually create them himself. But he saw it that way at least. Either way, Aedus's unusual appearance did not phase him in the slightest. He hadn't spent enough time around other creatures to adopt their judgmental opinions towards other creatures. Of course, if a creature existed, he didn't think it was an abomination.

 

Standing up, he frowned slightly, peering past Aedus to look at the forest. Looking relieved, he sighed slightly and waved a hand. "No, don't worry. I know where we are." He stepped out of the cottage, looking around with a small hum. "Not very far from my home. We should be able to walk there in half a day if we start now." Looking back at Aedus he smiled slightly, tilting his head to the side. "Do you need to do anything before we start walking? It's best not to linger in the deep forest for too long. And we need to get past the swamps before night."

[shadow_claw]

Aedus's surprise was obvious. He'd never been this far into the forest, and this man had? Aedus had lived his whole life in the forest! "I...Uh.." Unsure how to respond The boy shuffled back inside and began to gather some supplies. As his clothes were destroyed, he didn't have much more than his axe and a waterskin. All the clothes that remained was a cloak hanging by the door. With what little he had on his person Aedus stepped back outside. As soon as the door closed, however, it vanished.

"My Master... th-they will not like this. W-was this your doing?" He stammered. Just the thought of his master getting upset, and what would follow, had him pale. In fact, he swayed a little just at the thought. "T-take me back!"

[pudding]

Oh, right. The man had been asleep when he had returned to the cottage and remained such until this point. How very much like the Fae to leave him to explain. "No," He replied, shaking his head quickly. "And they are no longer your master. He entrusted your care to me." Glancing back at the door as it vanished, he nodded slightly and fixed his tunic slightly before setting off. "It would be better to stay near me. These parts of the forest can be dangerous to travel alone in. But the creatures leave me alone and they'll leave you alone too if you do not stray."

[shadow_claw]

((I forgot to mention that Aedus has one dead eye.))

 

Aedus didn't looked convinced. In fact, the man's words only seemed to concern him more. "No...they would never do that! This is a trick! I won't be fooled again!" He took a step backwards, then another, before turning and running away. A lifetime of being tricked by his guardian made Aedus paranoid at best. Clearly, he'd been put in situation similar to this in the past.

 

---

 

By now, it had to be about eleven years since the first time he had been fooled. Aedus had been seven when a man came knocking on his door. He was a slim man, short like Aedus himself with the same mop of curly hair. And he was claiming to be his father.

"Ever since the death of your mother, I regretted giving you away. You have siblings you know. Twins! They'll love to see you."

The little boy was eager to leave, as the work he was put through was intense for such a child. He took the hand of his father and was led through the forest.

 

It was when the edge of the wilderness that things went wrong. When the world beyond the forest became visible, Aedus's human disguise melted away. When his father realized this, he dropped the boy's hand.

"I-I..." Aedus stammered, but couldn't made out words.

Instead of any actual response, the man turned and struck the child with such a force that Aedus stumbled and fell. He sniffled, a hand covered a quickly swelling mark on his face.

"Your treachery is astounding, boy." The man's form melted away to reveal the Fae, their gaze angry at best. They stalked forward, grabbing Aedus by the face with a hand. "Did you honestly think anyone would come for you? You're mine, because no one else would ever take you. Your parents abandoned you to me. They never valued your life."

Aedus tried to close his eyes, but the grip on his face only tightened. Hot tears welled in his eyes and rolled down his face.

"Nobody loves you, child. After all I have done for you, and you jump at the opportunity to leave your only home." The Fae twisted their face into a sneer, raising its other hand. "Perhaps I'll leave you a reminder of this." The blood that ran down his face didn't hurt as much as the weight of the Fae's words. One hand remained clapped to the torn eye as both blood and tears streamed from it.

"Be grateful I didn't take both."

[pudding]

The god seemed more stunned than anything by the reaction, blinking a few times before finally realizing that Aedus was gone between a few of the trees. "Ah, wait!" He yelled, quickly darting after him. However, even if he was a god, Aedus clearly was much more fit than him and in this current state, he wasn't going to easily be able to catch up to Aedus. "Come back!" He yelled, barely able to see Aedus as he ran to the trees. Quickly losing his breath, he was forced to stop, holding his hands across his stomach. "Please," He begged, looking up at the trees around him. "Please don't leave me. Not again."

[shadow_claw]

Again? Although the stranger's voice wasn't particularly loud, the forest was dead silent. Aedus slowed to a stop, his breath hitching as images flickered in the back of his mind. Phantom pains haunted him, the ghost of a agony he'd never experienced tearing at his skin. Again did the images of his dream resurface, but it no longer felt happy. The man holding his hand was in tears, his green eyes hollow with grief. Green eyes...Aedus swayed as he turned back towards the stranger, his whole body shaking. "We don't even know each-" He stopped short as he thought. That dream had to mean something. And that deer creature...all of this. It meant something. It had to.

 

Aedus took a shaky step towards his only company, and slowly made his way back to the hunched man. When he returned, however he was wary. Why was this man so upset. Gold eyes stared into green, and for a moment, recognition flickered across Aedus's face. "Green...your eyes are green." He muttered softly. The young hybrid reached out, prying one of the stranger's hands away from their stomach to hold. It was warm and rough, just like...

"You're the man from my dream, aren't you?"

[pudding]

The few moments he was left alone were terrible. He had been alone for so long. He had been alone for so long that he had forgotten he ever had someone beside him in the first place and had to be reminded. Even now the memories were foggy, like they were still being dusted off after sitting for years on a shelf. And now, after he had finally remembered, he had rejected him and run away from him. And, unfortunately, his heartbreak did not cease when Aedus stepped back into the clearing.

 

Looking up at the man as he commented on the color of his eyes, he frowned, glancing down at his hand when the creature held his hand. As it was grabbed, his fingers twitched briefly at the contact and he hesitated, trying to resist the urge to draw his hand back. He wasn't sure how he felt about other people touching him. If he disliked people looking at him, touching clearly seemed off the board. But this was Pallian. He couldn't scare him off now. "I don't know," He replied, looking at their hands. "It's been too long. I can't remember everything." He looked away, his gaze turning towards the direction of his house. "Can we just go back to my house? I...I'd feel much better if we weren't out in the open like this."

[shadow_claw]

"Remember...?" What was undoubtedly fear flickered in Aedus's eyes.There was so much he didn't understand, so much that was left unanswered. And this man...he knew something. Something about them. He knew why everything had gotten so horribly confusing in this short span of time. And for that reason alone, Aedus would follow him. But something else made him want to stay. Maybe it was the familiarity of the hand he was holding.

 

Aed us's free hand unconsciously moved to his left eye. His blind eye. Four long gashes were scarred across his face. One sliced over his left eye, and they drifted further left with each line. His webbed ear was torn, likely from the same incident. "I..." Aedus's grip tightened on the other man's hand. "I will go. Just...promise me something." Both his ears angled downwards, but his eyes managed to meet the Night's. "Please tell me this isn't a trick...n-not...not again...please."

[pudding]

The god tilted his head to the side, looking at Aedus's injury before shaking his head slightly, moving his free hand to reassuringly touch Aedus's shoulder. The gesture was polite and gentle and he barely put any pressure on the other man's shoulder. "I would never lie to you," He replied softly, looking directly at Aedus now. "I won't force you to stay with me if you don't want to but it's already afternoon. You wouldn't be able to get out of the deep forest until night fell and it would be dangerous. If you want to leave, at least wait until tomorrow."

[shadow_claw]

He couldn't argue with that logic. This land was unfamiliar to him, though he was well-versed in the dangers of the forest. A place to stay, away from his usual life, sounded like a good idea. The fear on Aedus's face slowly faded away, and his grip of the other man's hand relaxed. The sincerity in the man's voice was unmistakable. "...A-alright." The young man decided. Freedom wasn't something he was used to. He was usually just told what to do; being able to make his own major decisions was a new concept. Aedus was silent for a few moments before speaking. "You...are not mortal, are you..? I've only ever seen Fae in this land. Are you...one of them?"

[pudding]

As the grip on his hand relaxed, the god withdrew, letting his hand hang awkwardly at his side. Rubbing his arm, he glanced around briefly before frowning. Chasing after Aedus had thrown off his sense of direction. Oh well, he had come prepared. He always needed to be able to find his way back home, after all. "No, I am not a Fae," He replied, pulling at a string around his neck to produce a small, green stone he wore as a necklace The stone was round and obviously some kind of gem, though what kind was an entirely separate matter. "But you are correct, I am not mortal." Lifting a hand, he pointed out towards where the trees grew denser and closer together. "This way. You can ask me questions while we walk." Hopefully the man wouldn't get too nosy into his personal life. Even if he wouldn't lie, he wasn't comfortable with revealing a great deal about himself.

[shadow_claw]

Aedus nodded as the God spoke. He didn't look or act like a Fae. Though, that begged for the next question. If he wasn't a Fae, what was he? Not much else aside from Fae and Dragons had an unlimited life span. There were gods, but...surely this man was no god. That terrible creature the previous day was likely a god. But the way he and the stag had spoken...there was no denying that this man was recognized as a superior.

 

The young man mulled over this as they walked. None of this was making sense. The stag had recognized the both of them, had even called them lovers! And yet, this was the first time they had ever met! It was most certainly odd. If this man, this near stranger was the same person from his dream, that meant Aedus himself was involved in. All this. And what could possibly scare the Fae into releasing him? Just like that?

"Could you...tell me what became of me the night prior? I can't...I recall nothing of it." He finally decided. With all the questions in his head, it was hard to pick just one.

[pudding]

"Certainly," The god replied, honestly quite relieved the first question wasn't a personal jab or a further attempt to discover what he was. Honestly, he didn't know himself. And it bothered him to try to explain that because it also involved having to explain why he was so confused. To be more specific, it required him to talk about Chaos. His hand trembled slightly as he shook the thought away, instead smiling slightly under his scarf as he looked at Aedus.

 

"The two we met awoke your potential. They really should have refrained from doing so as your body is mortal so you ended up passing out. I took you to the Fae and they sealed your energy again." Mentioning the part where the seal wouldn't last probably was a bad idea. That kind of energy, the energy of a god, couldn't just be pocketed. Not that it had resurfaced, it would take effort to keep it contained. But, he didn't want to scare Aedus. Making sure the seal stayed strong and keeping him unaware was the best idea. It wasn't technically lying either, not if he never asked.