YUVEN

Enough is enough. Yuven organized the papers into neat piles for the archives at Euros. Any new information for quick uprooting of any cults which dared to try and undo the work of the Wardens. His fingers tapped the table in thought. With two maps on either side of him, he drew every line in his head, scowling the longer it continued with Adara's new information. Come on, Molvisaliz. Talk to me. On the seat, he tried to reach out through the darkness of his own mind. As he allowed the silence to fill his ears, slowly stars sprinkled in his view, untouched. I know you're alive. I know you must be in some better condition than Kemal is. Molvisaliz. Talk. Yuven tried to cast his thoughts to the wind, but he got no response in return. It was as if the connection simply tapered off into nothing. I know you wouldn't cut the connection — I would've felt it. The heel of his boot clicked against the stone and he scoffed and lifted himself out of the chair. Up the steps and out of the bunker, he stopped at a sweet scent wafting from the kitchen.

Neven worked behind the counter setting up parcels for their extended journey to follow Adara out to where they stumbled onto. Kemal's necklace sat around his neck, his eyes heavy but a bit more energy to his movements. "Ah, Yuven," he said after a moment and a quick glance. He pointed at the runeoven, and Yuven wandered over. "I am making some poundcakes before we leave." Tangles of gold sat around his feathers, and Yuven kept his head lowered to his elder when Neven checked on them. "I even made some extra for the others to have... when..." His Navei tapered off. "We get them home."

Yuven hovered off to the side. "We leave tomorrow," he told Neven, unable to respond to his hopeful insinuations. "Miesero, is there nothing I can do to convince you? You have been at this too long, you—"

Neven stilled, a beady side-eye sent his way when he pulled out a tray from the cabinet. Worthless and useless, Yuven stepped away from him. "You—"

"I knew the risks." Unwashed bitterness left Neven's lips. "You could show me such decency in allowing me to make that choice for myself as I allowed you." His hand rested on the table, and Yuven flinched without Fenrer's resolve and determination. No more. No longer had he the capability to stand after the ruination he caused to those around him. "Had I had any real sense back then, I wouldn't have let this happen. I wouldn't have even let it get this far." Fang tips revealed, Neven drew back. "You're not the only capable Storm Warden in the Order, Yuven. Many of us have been at this longer than you."

Ah, Miesero, your words are cruel, but unlike mine- Yuven argued, "Experience means naught. Look what happened to Kemal and his team." He pressed on though a hiss left Neven's nose when he came closer. "Maria went to go pick up some more medication for you, but you haven't had an expulsion flash and I hope to keep it that way. Take my word for it, they don't like to happen at convenient times." In show, he tapped the phial on his leather strap full of his new medication. "So, instead of being belligerent or whatever word you used to use for me, you can actually listen to what I have to say and stop treating me like a child."

"Then do not treat me as if I am incapable," Neven chittered with a snap of his teeth.

Yuven longed to bite, to throw words, but he found it dying on his fingertips and saw only himself in the mirror. Neven's feathers shuddered between the waves of his hair, and he clutched the table with an icy glare down at the wood. His fierce expression died to a tired one, before looking back up at him with a smile. "Yuven, sometimes you have to trust that people can take care of themselves," he said, clutching his shoulders, though Yuven chose to stare at the wall over him instead. "I knew the risks... or at the least, I learned quickly what the risks were and chose anyway. We chose this, to become Storm Wardens. We did not have to." Neven's fingers dug into his collarbone, and Yuven slipped a fang over his tongue. "It is what makes us the force that we are. We no longer conscript. Though our numbers have suffered... the ones we do have... will put their lives on the line, against the abyss, to save this world, to save the people within it even if the people within it would sooner ignore the plight around them for the comfort of sunny days." Neven's feathers folded. "And with all that, I'd rather trust my life to a handful of Wardens who chose to take a stand, reach their hand out to others, knowing that they might die, knowing that they can just as easily turn away... than thousands who were forced to. So, please trust me."

"Miesero..." Yuven lowered his head in defeat. Always weaker than those with the resolve to match their words where he had lost his as Fenrer lost his faith.

Neven let him go with a quick feather flick. "Even with this world treating you as it has, Yuven... You still chose to take a stand. In my eyes, you are already the greatest Storm Warden. You are someone who would have every reason and right to give up on this world, yet you have not. People would follow you into the abyss knowing that you'd be the first to rush in after asking them. With more experience, I can only imagine what you will rise to." Neven's features softened. "Though you may labour to see it, you push others around you, because you do not accept anything less than victory, no matter the costs to yourself."

That's not true. I just like to live. I'm not an inspiration. Most people have looked upon me with pity, or fear, or... None of his thoughts left his lips when Neven tilted his head and stepped away from him to continue the packing of their supplies. You... and Molvisaliz are the ones who push those around you. Not me. I just live through spite. I didn't take a stand because I thought this world could still be saved. I took a stand because you did, because I wanted to... be like you. His feathers tickled the ridges of his ears, and he went to step away and leave Neven to his chosen duty. Foolish, I could never compare to you. I'm just another Warden in the end. You're the one who made all the difference. Everything I gain... is the things you deserve. Yuven tapped the side of the counter, and swung himself around it, though stopped when Neven coughed into his arm. "Take a drink of water if you can get past the taste of it."

"Hm?" Neven raised his weary eyes to him. He headed over to the icebox to open it and slip out a container of water, pouring it into a mug. The stream splashed at the edge, and Neven put it away in silence, though Yuven frowned when he loomed over the mug instead, a hand over his chest. Doom and dread pulled at his stomach and made him retrace his attempt to leave.

"Neven?" Yuven faced him when he stiffened, the threat clear as day. "Is something wrong?"

"I'm... not sure," Neven said to him, his lips pale, though his heart dropped into his stomach at the soft swirl of magick in his eyes as scattered, snowy stars. His hand dug deeper into his shirt. "I feel lightheaded."

"Sit down, I'll make you some chocoberry tea." Yuven reached out to him.

Neven straightened himself out with a wheeze and a hiss, but Yuven found his own breath escaping him when blood started to slip down his chin. "Mie—" Yuven grabbed onto him when Neven started to choke, red splattering the wood below. No. No! He went to lower Neven to the ground, but flinched when Neven held on far too tight and looked at him, conscious as he twitched, his magick spreading over the air. "Sit down!"

"Kem—" His pupils became saucers and made the sapphires disappear. Yuven released a gasp when Neven shoved him away when a flash of magick tore through the kitchen and broke the plates with its force. Unceremoniously on his ass, Yuven found himself unable to move when Neven writhed on his feet, hacking up blood. Yuven swung his head around, tearing through the cupboards nearest him for towels or cloth. Broken glyphs slapped into his stomach and pushed him away from any useful help he could give. Red-splattered gold when it squeezed Neven and stars tore itself off his magick. Yuven snapped to his feet, finding his will to press onwards against pain. He held onto Neven.

This can't be a flash, but— Yuven snapped his attention upwards. Adara. He bit on his lip, then snapped, "Adara Sazaka, get down here!" Footsteps responded to his clear order, her brown hair flyaway as she skidded down the steps. Her mouth opened, but he had no time for inane questions. "Go get Maria at the apothecary! Now!" Please, this is bad. Yuven returned his attention to Neven when he heaved for breath, magick ooze filling the cracks in the wood. "What's happening?" he whispered to himself as Adara raced out of the treehouse, the door swinging on its hinges behind her. Air lifted a towel into his hands as he pressed it against the stream of blood coming out of what appeared to be every orifice Neven had, splattering his feathers red when his knees buckled. Yuven overturned the towel, his heart dropping.

Black as pitch and tar.

No. No. No! No, this can't be happening! Yuven threw it to the side while the runeoven ticked on and made the pound cakes rise.

The magick started to quell, sinking into the wood below as ash. Neven used him as a crutch. "Miesero? Miesero, talk to me." Yuven tried not to let a squeak leave his vocal chords. "Sit down and talk." Just talk to me. Talk. You're fine. You need to relax. Yuven shook Neven, whose fingers loosened on him. "Talk."

Barely a sound left Neven when he let out a strangled sob and collapsed onto his knees, with himself having no useful strength to keep him on his feet. The thud of his body rocked through his ears. On the runeoven ticked when he lowered himself to the ground to put a hand on Neven, where a couple of feathers sat in the puddles mixed with blood and magick ooze from Neven's writhing and convulsing, though Neven himself had gone stock still.

The ticking of the runeoven sent continuous jolts through his feathers and straight to the pain in his head when he shook Neven further. Talk, he tried to force it through his teeth, but no sound came out. He came closer, trying to feel the wind of life, but drew back at its faint whisper instead. Seconds. Way past when Neven would wake up from an expulsion flash. Seconds more. Minutes. Too long minutes. Yuven sucked in his lips and snapped his head up to try and listen out for Adara and Maria. What is taking so long? Yuven choked on inability as he rasped, "Miesero? It's over now." He scooted closer, creating glyphs of air, though they trembled and had no force to them when his own bones threatened to crush themselves against the weight.

It splattered his clothes when he tried and fought to bring air through the glyphs.

The runeoven sent waves of anger and agony through his body, and he jerked when someone touched his back. Maria's lips moved, though no sound came out while Adara peeked around the other side. Yuven let Maria pass when she instead prodded his side, going to Neven's head to press two fingers against his jugular. Her words formed into a name, his name. A soft expanse within the oven followed his chest, and he twitched when the bell dinged. "His poundcakes are finished." His own voice was far off in the distance, and he refused to let go of Neven.

Maria's hands wrapped around his forearms, and she said something he couldn't hear, though it appeared directed at Adara who scrambled to grab mitts to open the runeoven and pull the tray out while Maria gently lifted Neven upwards, whose only sign of life was a weak tremble of the body from the motion. "Yuv..." Quiet. It almost sounded like Fenrer. "Yuv...!" His gaze went over to Maria when she snapped her fingers in continuous motion. Molten fire dripped over his throat, a word, sharp as the stars. Yuven. Yuven. Yuven. He blinked out tears as Maria took the towels, looking it over with her own furrowed brow at the black colour along the fabric.

I am...

Adara set the tray aside and squished herself in the corner, looking sick to her stomach, her gaze rapt on him.

Yuven looked down at himself. Splattered blood, but not his own.

"...ven...Yu..."

He gasped when Maria sent a punch into his shoulder, staring at her.

"You need to let go of him so I can take him outside..." she said, her voice fading in and out.

Neven was pried out of his fingers.

Maria lifted Neven with ease, a burst of magick entering her limbs as a layer of focus entered her eyes, and she moved him out of the bloodsoaked kitchen. On his feet, he followed after, wanting to hear anything else than the silence of death. She set Neven on one of the backyard lounge chairs, checking his vitals. Her own glyph flowed with strength, from the flames of power to a gentle whisper of air. She brought it closer to Neven's nose. Yuven sank into the chair beside him.

"...Yuven!"

He knew not where the other voice came from, though it too fell silent when the stars dancing along the edges of his vision disappeared. Birds chirped in the tree, and he angled himself forward at Neven's weak intake of breaths. Maria raised her gaze to him with a tired frown. "He's stable."

"I don't understand..."

Maria spun her glyph once more before allowing it to dissipate. Her lips curled inward, the first burst of frustration on her face. "He'll wake up."

"Why do you say it so?"

She hid away the ferocity of the amber. "I don't think he'll want to be. Stay here with him, Yuven, I need to examine the blood on the towel."

Yuven scooted closer to Neven, trying to squeeze him to life when Maria disappeared into the treehouse with a quick word to Adara, though the two women soon went out of earshot. Wind danced along his feathers, forced to witness death all over again. Until Neven's hand squeezed his and he tore open his eyes. "Miesero."

Neven lifted his gaze to him, then reached a hand upwards. "You're okay...?"

"You have to stop doing that," Yuven complained, but found his strength all but spent. You have to stop scaring me...

"We have to go now."

"Miesero... you can't."

"He's—" Neven coughed, though Yuven frowned at the lack of blood that followed. "I need to get to him, Yuv."

"Why?"

"I just need to."

Yuven shook his head at Neven. "We will."

Neven relaxed, and drifted away from him.

What just... happened? What did Kemal do? There's no other explanation, what did he do?