Now formally and officially meet… Shu Lenstar! The contest may be over but they didn’t stop ppl from making freak show oc’s soooo 😼 im also literally using my old submission as reference lmao-
Vidias sat slumped on the sofa, head tipped back, exhaustion weighing heavy on his shoulders, and his little brother laying across his lap.
Kade had barely left his side, sitting on the other side of the sofa, eyes locked on Virgo as if he would disappear when he looked away.
Fallon sat at the table a few feet away, his hands clasped between his knees, eyes dark with the kind of weariness that settled deep into the bones.
Virgo’s severed wing was laying on the table, ice encasing the blue-gray feathers.
Magic had never been Vidias’s strong suit, but he was grateful for what he knew now. He had done everything he could.
The stitches were secure, the bleeding had stopped, the wound had been cauterized. Perhaps it was overkill, but Virgo was still too pale, too still. His breathing was shallow, and the tears were still drying on his face.
Vidias wanted to believe that once he woke up, once the worst of it was behind him, everything would be fine, but he couldn’t promise that.
He hated it.
He’d promised Virgo he’d try to reattach the wing later, but, now, looking at him, that promise felt like a cruel lie.
He brushed his fingers over his remaining wing. The feathers were soft, unharmed, but stained with blood.
Kade finally broke the silence. “I should’ve done more.”
Vidias turned his head, studying him.
Kade looked wrecked. His hands were clasped together, knuckles white, and his eyes hadn’t left Virgo since they had gotten him stable.
“You kept him awake. You held him when he needed it.” Vidias said quietly. “That’s not nothing.”
Kade shook his head, jaw clenched tight. “It wasn’t enough.”
A heavy silence settled over them again. Vidias understood that feeling all too well.
Fallon finally spoke, his voice quieter than usual. “What now?”
Vidias looked down at Virgo, his little brother’s pale face, his lashes still damp with drying tears.
“He’s going to wake up soon, I can tell.” Vidias muttered. “I–I don’t know what to tell him. I don’t want to reattach his wing until he’s strong enough, but… he won’t want to wait, and I don’t even know if it will work.”
Fallon let out a slow breath, rubbing his hands over his face. “He’s not going to take this well.”
That was an understatement.
Virgo had never known a life without his wings. They were part of him, as much as his hands or his feet, except now, he was missing a piece of himself, leaving him with nothing but an empty space where his wing should be.
“He’s much stronger than we give him credit for.” Kade said.
Fallon hummed in response. “I mean, he did try to break a plate over my head like… two hours ago.”
“You deserved it.” Kade snapped, a smile taking up his face. “You called him dramatic.”
Vidias looked between them, his chest tightening.
He wasn’t used to not having to bear the weight of things alone.
Kade exhaled, finally dragging his gaze away from Virgo to meet Vidias’s. “We’ll figure this out together.”
Vidias nodded, his throat tight. “Yeah. Together.”
A small, weak noise suddenly broke the silence.
Vidias’s head snapped down, his breath catching in his throat.
Virgo was stirring. His fingers twitched against Vidias’s arm, his brows furrowing slightly, his breath hitching.
Then, with a pained, shuddering inhale, his eyes fluttered open.
He whined and shifted, fresh tears springing to his eyes as he fought to adjust to the pain that must still be radiating from his back.
Vidias was already moving, his hand pressing gently against the back of Virgo’s head.
“Easy.” He murmured, his voice barely above a whisper. “You’re okay. You’re safe.”
Virgo’s breaths were shallow, his chest rising and falling in uneven, trembling motions. His eyes darted wildly before landing on Vidias, glassy and unfocused, but filled with something raw.
Kade was already leaning in, his hands hovering as if he wanted to help but didn’t know how.
“Virgo, you’re alright.” He said, voice softer than Vidias had ever heard from him. “You’re with us.”
Virgo’s fingers curled weakly against Vidias’s arm, his brows knitting together. Then, slowly, he tried to lift his hands.
Vidias caught them gently. “Stop. Just rest for a second, okay?”
Virgo blinked, eyes flickering with frustration, but he was still too weak to protest. His hands shook, but he managed one small sign. Hurts.
Vidias swallowed, nodding.
“I know.” His voice cracked. “I know, but you’re going to be okay.”
Virgo’s lips parted, and he tried to move again, his body twisting slightly, until his breathing hitched sharply, his face contorting in agony.
Vidias and Kade moved at the same time.
“Hey—stop, stop—” Kade said quickly, his hands pressing against Virgo’s arms, stilling him.
Virgo gasped, his face scrunching as he squeezed his eyes shut, another whimper escaping. His fingers moved again, weak but insistent. Where did you put my wing?
Vidias hesitated again, his heart aching, but he knew denying him would only make this worse.
He glanced at Fallon, who sighed and ran a hand through his hair before stepping forward.
Carefully, he pulled the ice-encased wing closer to the edge of the table, turning it so Virgo could see.
Virgo barely breathed. His lips parted, a tiny, shaky whine slipping through.
Vidias kept his hand steady against Virgo’s shoulder, waiting, watching.
When he signed again, his movements were frantic, desperate. Put it back. Please.
Vidias’s chest tightened, his grip on Virgo’s shoulder grounding him as much as it was meant to ground his little brother.
He wanted to say yes. Wanted to promise, to make this better, to erase the pain from Virgo’s face and the way his hands trembled with sheer, pleading desperation, but he couldn’t lie to him.
Vidias shook his head slowly. “Not yet.”
Virgo’s breath hitched. His fingers twitched, then curled weakly into the fabric of Vidias’s sleeve.
“You’re not strong enough.” Vidias kept his voice soft, careful, but there was no way to say it that wouldn’t hurt. “If we try now, it won’t take. We have to wait.”
Virgo’s gaze locked onto his severed wing, unmoving, unblinking. His fingers twitched again, and he reached out, but the motion was weak, shaky, uncoordinated. His hand barely lifted before he let it drop back to Vidias’s arm.
Vidias saw the moment it fully hit him.
His face crumpled. His breathing turned erratic, sharp gasps escaping in silent, ragged sobs. His fingers clenched around Vidias’s sleeve, gripping tight, but there was no strength in it, just desperation.
Vidias swallowed hard and leaned down, pressing his forehead lightly to Virgo’s.
“I’m sorry.” He whispered, his voice raw. “I’m so, so sorry.”
Virgo didn’t respond. He just shook, his tears slipping silently down his cheeks.
Kade let out a slow, uneven breath and scrubbed a hand over his face. His jaw was tight, his eyes dark with something unreadable, but his hand stayed steady where it hovered just above Virgo’s arm.
Fallon looked away. His fingers twitched, restless, as if itching for something to do, something to fix, but there was nothing to fix. Not right now.
Vidias felt helpless.
He wanted to promise Virgo that this would be okay. That they would put his wing back, and that he would fly again, but he didn’t know if that was true.
So he just held onto him.
Even as his sobs turned to wails he tried to hide with his remaining wing, shuffling away from Vidias when they seemed to be too much for him.
He shuffled backwards, but a helpless shriek came from behind the shield of feathers as his raw back touched the sofa.
Vidias gently scooped Virgo back into his arms, mindful of the wound. “I know it’s awful, but you’re okay. We’ll try to get it back on soon, okay?”
Virgo nodded against his chest, but his tears didn’t slow.
“You’re alive. Isn’t that what really matters?” Kade asked, placing his hand tentatively on his back, between his remaining wing and the stump hitting out of his back.
Virgo shook his head.
“No?” Vidias asked, concern dripping into his voice.
Vidias separated himself just enough for Virgo to sign, but his brother didn’t. He just tried to burrow back against his chest.
“Talk to me, chickadee. Why ‘no’?” Vidias insisted.
He thought for a moment, sticking his bottom lip out, before he wiped his eyes on his sleeve.
“It doesn’t matter that you’re alive?” Fallon pressed.
He shook his head before he finally signed. Not without my wing.
The words hung heavy between them, stealing what little air was left in the room.
Kade’s and Fallon both looked to Vidias, clearly unsure of what was said
Vidias had to swallow past the lump in his throat before he could speak. “That’s not true, Virgo.”
Virgo didn’t respond, he just collapsed in Vidias’s arms again.
“What’s not true?” Kade questioned, still oblivious.
Well, you wouldn’t be confused if you’d just learn sign language. Vidias thought, but he didn’t say that, that was an argument for another time, so he just shook his head.
He focused back on Virgo, who was still trembling against him, silent sobs shaking his small frame.
His hands clutched weakly at Vidias’s shirt, fingers digging in as if holding on was the only thing keeping him together.
Vidias rested his chin lightly against the top of Virgo’s head, closing his eyes. “It’s okay. We’ll fix it.”
Virgo shook his head against his chest again, his breath stuttering.
Vidias hesitated, then gently pulled back, tilting Virgo’s chin up with careful fingers.
His little brother’s face was blotchy, his lashes clumped with tears, his lips trembling. His hands were too weak to sign again, but his eyes were screaming what he couldn’t say.
I don’t know who I am if I can’t fly.
Vidias felt his heart break all over again. He had no words, no way to ease the ache that had settled deep in Virgo’s bones. There was no reassurance that would make this better.
Please, can you put it back now? I’ll be good. He signed, more tears leaking from his eyes.
“What’s he saying, Vidias?” Fallon demanded before Vidias even got the chance to process what he was seeing.
Vidias exhaled tiredly, his chest tightening as he tried to find the words, but how could he possibly say it? How could he repeat something so devastating aloud?
He swallowed past the lump in his throat, brushing his thumb gently across Virgo’s tear-streaked cheek.
“He—” His voice wavered. He cleared his throat and tried again. “He wants us to put his wing back now. He—” His breath caught. “He said he’ll be good.”
Silence crashed over the room like a wave.
Fallon looked away first, jaw tightening, fingers twitching where they still rested between his knees.
Kade let out a slow breath through his nose, pressing the heel of his palm against his forehead.
Neither of them said anything, but they didn’t have to. The weight of Virgo’s words was already suffocating enough.
Virgo was nodding along, as if there wasn’t anything wrong with what he said, hope filled his eyes as he looked back up at Vidias.
His heart splintered.
Vidias couldn’t give him what he wanted. Not yet. Maybe not ever, and the thought of that made his chest tighten with something unbearable.
Virgo blinked up at him again, waiting, pleading.
“Virgo, it’s not about—” His voice broke, and he had to force himself to keep going. “It’s not about being good.”
Virgo’s brows furrowed, confusion flickering behind his teary gaze.
Vidias curled his fingers gently around Virgo’s trembling hands, giving them a squeeze. “This isn’t a punishment.”
Virgo flinched, his face crumpling again, and for a moment, Vidias hated himself for not being able to fix this.
Virgo wasn’t supposed to be dealing with this.
He was sixteen.
He was supposed to be stealing pastries from the kitchen and dragging Vidias outside to sit in the sun, even when Vidias had no interest in going anywhere.
Not laying in his older brother’s arms, pleading with him like a child who thought he needed to be better to be loved.
This should’ve been Vidias’s problem. Vidias was older. He’s practically raised Virgo since the boy was four. Vidias was all Virgo had, and right now, he was at a loss.
Vidias clenched his jaw, his grip tightening slightly. “We’ll try, Virgo. I promise. As soon as we can, but you have to get stronger first.”
Virgo’s lip trembled. His hands twitched again, but his body had nothing left to give.
He was exhausted. He was broken. And it was all Vidias’s fault.
Vidias hesitated, then exhaled slowly. “Do you trust me?”
Virgo didn’t answer immediately, and for a moment, Vidias was afraid he wouldn’t, but then, after what felt like an eternity, Virgo gave a weak, reluctant nod.
Relief hit Vidias so hard his eyes burned. He pulled Virgo closer, resting his chin lightly against his head. “Then let me take care of you. Like I always have.”
Virgo let out a quiet, broken sound, but he didn’t fight anymore.
Vidias felt him finally relax. Not completely, not in the way he used to, but enough. Enough for Vidias, anyway.
Lore: This is Blaze Infernus! (they/them) and they're a fire spirit, they're a little hot headed ironically enough, and their hair and fire grow hotter with their emotions (sometimes Turing blue as you can see) they wear a mask as to keep smoke from leaking out from their mouth.
After the pain dulled to a more manageable throb, Virgo watched from the sofa as Kade, Fallon, and Vidias cleaned his blood off the floor.
The world still felt like it was spinning, but Virgo forced himself to keep his eyes open. His body was too weak to move, his limbs were like dead weight, but he could watch. At least.
The smell of iron lingered in the air, clinging to the fabric of his clothes. His back ached, the stump where his wing used to be burning like an open wound, even though he knew it was closed now. His eyes kept drifting to the table, where his wing was trapped in a thick sheen of ice.
He clenched his jaw, willing himself not to cry again. He couldn’t cry anymore. He was too tired, and honestly annoyed at how much he’d cried in the first place.
“You still doing okay over there, bud?” Vidias asked, pulling him from his thoughts. “Do you want me to come back and sit with you?”
“What? No.” Fallon snapped, dipping his cloth in the pink tinged water. “You’ve gotten your time with Virgo, if anyone is going to sit with him it’s going to be me.”
Kade huffed. “You two are just trying to get out of cleaning. If he wants one of us to sit with him, he’ll tell us. And it’ll probably be me.”
Virgo blinked slowly, watching the three of them bicker. He wanted to tell them it didn’t matter, that none of this mattered, but the words wouldn’t come. Even if he could speak, he wasn’t sure he’d have the energy to say anything at all.
Another shudder ripped through him.
That had been happening a lot since he woke.
It wasn’t shivering either, and it wasn’t just a small, involuntary shift. It was an entire body tremble, violent and forcing his wing to curl uncomfortably inward.
Vidias had noticed it earlier, but there wasn’t anything to be done about it, though he’d tried to get him to sleep it off. It was just another thing for Virgo to deal with.
He squeezed his eyes shut as another tremor ran through him, his remaining wing twitching against his back as if trying to make up for the loss of the other. He wished it could.
His fingers curled weakly into the blanket draped over him, but it didn’t stop the shaking, it didn’t ground him the way he wanted it to. Oh, well, what else was new?
“Another one?” The teasing edge from Vidias’s voice was gone, replaced with something softer. Virgo hated that too. He wasn’t fragile. “You weren’t warm earlier. Are you sure you don’t feel feverish?”
Virgo forced his eyes open again, blinking sluggishly at his brother before shaking his head. He didn’t feel cold, or hot, he just felt tired and sore. And frustrated.
“Are you gonna be okay over there by yourself?” Fallon inquired.
Virgo nodded. He knew he’d need to clean himself up soon enough, but watching the stains disappear from the floor felt like a relief. Although, his relief was quickly dispelled when he noticed the stains on the pale yellow sofa. Those were probably permanent.
Vidias followed his gaze to the couch, frowning as he noticed the dark patches seeping into the fabric.
“We’ll get that cleaned too.” He said simply, turning his attention back to the rag in his hands.
Virgo wasn’t sure if that was possible, but he knew the moment he felt well enough, he’d scrub at it himself for however long it took.
He shifted slightly, wincing as his back protested. The phantom weight of his missing wing was unbearable, like it was still there but just out of reach, twisted and wrong.
Another tremor tore through him.
Kade was the first to notice this time. “You’re shaking like a leaf over there, bud.”
Virgo exhaled sharply through his nose. He knew. He just didn’t know why. His fingers twitched, weak and sluggish, but he managed to sign. Don’t feel cold.
Vidias nodded, though his frown deepened. “Yeah, well, your body thinks otherwise.”
“What?” Fallon asked, finally looking up from the floor.
“He says he doesn’t feel cold.” Vidias muttered, rolling his eyes.
Virgo swallowed hard as he closed his eyes, exhaustion pressing down on him like a weight. He wanted to sleep, but every time he closed his eyes for too long, the pain felt sharper, like it was waiting for him in the dark.
Vidias must’ve noticed the way Virgo’s breathing changed, because he set the rag down and crossed the room without another word.
He knelt next to the sofa, resting a hand lightly on Virgo’s blanket-covered arm. “Hey. You still with me?”
Virgo cracked his eyes open, barely managing a nod. His vision blurred at the edges, but he held onto consciousness with the sheer force of will.
“You’re doing good, okay?” Vidias said softly. “Just keep breathing. That’s all I want from you right now.”
Fallon came to hover nearby, his brow furrowed with concern now instead of irritation. “Should we take him to town? To see a healer?”
Vidias scoffed. “Yeah, because he can do a three hour walk in the desert. Besides, I had to lay low when I went in. Orcen soldiers were there. We just gotta… wait and hope the tremors go away.”
Virgo’s lashes fluttered. He heard the words, but they felt distant, like echoes from across a canyon.
The pain had dulled again, but the tremors hadn’t stopped. His muscles were aching from the constant tension, and his wing didn’t stop twitching, even when he wasn’t shuddering.
Another breath shuddered from his lungs. This one sharper. His throat caught. His body lurched into another tremor and a broken, wordless sound escaped him. A low, pained gasp that made all three boys freeze.
Kade was the first to move. He crossed the room in two strides and crouched beside Vidias, looking Virgo over with sharp eyes. “This isn’t normal.”
Vidias gave him a sharp look. “Really? I thought we did this all the time.”
“He doesn’t even have a fever.” Fallon muttered, completely ignoring the sarcastic bite in Vidias’s tone.
Kade brushed a hand back through Virgo’s sweat-damp hair, and Virgo shot a glare up at him in return. “He’s not getting worse, exactly, but he’s not stabilizing either. He’s just stuck like this.”
Vidias clenched his jaw, staring at Virgo’s trembling form like he could will the tremors to stop through determination. “Maybe it’s not physical. Maybe it’s… shock, or trauma, or—I don’t know. Something deeper.”
Fallon let out a frustrated exhale and stood, pacing a few steps before turning back. “Then what do we do? Just watch him suffer?”
“Well, what else do you want to do, Oh, Wise Healer Fallon?” Vidias demanded, rare anger seeping into his tone.
“I think we should take him to a healer that knows what they’re doing!” Fallon hissed. “We should take him to Nellie. She’s gotten us out of a few binds before.”
Kade’s brow furrowed. “Nellie’s three towns over. That’s longer than three hours, Fallon.”
“She’s worth it.” Fallon shot back. “You remember what she did for your ribs? For Vid’s fever?”
Vidias didn’t respond immediately. His hand tightened around Virgo’s arm, as if grounding himself in the feel of him.
Virgo didn’t care that it hurt. He cared that they were discussing what to do with him while he was sitting right there. Not that he felt well enough to stop them.
“That’s at least six hours if we hurry.” Vidias murmured, clearly weighing the options.
“Then we start moving now, and we’ll get there just before dusk.” Fallon replied smoothly.
“Dusk is too far.” Vidias said, his voice tight. “He can’t even lay on his back, and you want to lug him around the desert?”
Virgo barely heard them now, his awareness fraying at the edges. The room pulsed with each tremor, light dimming and brightening, shapes blurring. Every part of him screamed for stillness, but his body wouldn’t listen.
“He weighs nothing to me. I’m going to carry him the entire way there.” Fallon said, his tone fierce. “I’m not watching him shake apart. We can bring his wing too, see what Nellie thinks about getting it back on.”
Virgo didn’t move, but if he could’ve, he might’ve nodded. Might’ve agreed. He didn’t know if the wing could be reattached, but sitting there without hope wasn’t helping. He could feel himself slipping.
He must’ve drifted, because the next thing he knew was the pain that flamed through his back as he was rolled over and lifted.
Virgo gasped, or maybe he didn’t, maybe it was just the sensation of air being knocked from his lungs that made him feel like he had. The pain bloomed sharp and bright, and his head fell against Fallon’s shoulder as the motion jarred every raw nerve in his body.
“Sorry.” Fallon whispered, cradling him like he was something breakable, which now, he pretty much was. “I’m so sorry. I’ve got you. I’ve got you.”
The wind stung Virgo’s skin as they stepped outside, or maybe it was just the sudden exposure, he couldn’t tell anymore. His thoughts were fading faster than he thought them, and he didn’t have the strength to pull them back.
Vidias walked beside them, carrying the frozen wing wrapped in cloth, his expression unreadable. Kade followed closely, his eyes scanning the horizon like he was ready for a fight.
He wanted to sleep. He wanted to sleep so badly, but even the slightest movement sent fresh waves of pain through him, and as gentle as Fallon was being, the sand underfoot made every movement more jolting than it needed to be.
He was supposed to endure this for six hours? How? The shudders weren’t even slowing, and they were just making the pain worse. He didn’t have six hours in him. He wasn’t even sure he had one.
Virgo’s fingers twitched against Fallon’s chest, the only part of him that still seemed to respond, and even that was weak, flickering like the last flame of a dying candle.
“I know, chickadee.” He muttered. “I just need you to hang in there. We’ll do the rest.”
Vidias sighed, and Virgo felt his fingers comb through his hair. “He’s a mess… I wish there was something we could do.”
“We’re doing it, I guess.” Kade said bitterly. “He can do this. We just have to hurry.”
Virgo tried to lift his head, tried to turn toward the sound of Vidias’s voice, but his body refused to cooperate.
The momentary relief at hearing Vidias was overshadowed by the burning, tearing sensation still radiating through his back.
Vidias’s footsteps echoed as he stepped inside, his usual easygoing demeanor faltering the second he took in the scene before him. His arms, occupied with bags of supplies, went rigid at his sides as his gaze landed on Virgo, slumped against Kade, trembling, barely holding on.
“...What happened?” The lightness in Vidias’s tone was gone, replaced with sharp-edged urgency.
“H-His wing just tore clean off his back.” Fallon replied, panic more evident in his tone now. “It’s quite literally hanging on by a thread.”
It’s what? Virgo shifted, trying to turn his head to see the damage.
Vidias moved in an instant, dropping the bags with a thud. He crouched beside them, eyes scanning over Virgo with an intensity that made Kade and Fallon tense.
Then his gaze landed on Virgo’s wing…or what was left of it.
“Oh, chickadee. That—” His voice cut off, his throat working as he struggled for words. “That’s not normal. That’s not just an injury.”
Virgo barely registered the words. His entire body was too heavy, his mind slipping between pain and confusion.
“Can we fix it?” Kade asked. His hands, still pressed firmly against Virgo’s trembling fingers, were shaking slightly now.
“We have to stop the bleeding first, or fixing it won’t matter.” His voice was steady now, taking on that rare, serious tone he only used when things were dire.
Fallon pressed harder against the wound, and Virgo let out a weak, shuddering gasp at the pain. He tried to curl inward, away from the pressure, but Kade kept a firm hold on him.
“I know. I know.” Vidias murmured. His hands moved quickly, tearing into one of the bags he’d dropped. “Kade, tip him forward a little, but keep his head up. We can’t let him pass out.”
Kade did as he was told, adjusting Virgo so his weight rested more against him. Virgo let out a weak whimper, his vision flickering.
“I need a needle, thread, and something to clean the wound.” Vidias continued, rifling through his supplies. He pulled out a small bottle and ripped off the cork with his teeth. “Kade, hold him still.”
Kade barely had time to react before Vidias poured the liquid over Virgo’s wound.
A sharp, searing agony exploded across Virgo’s back. His body spasmed violently, a cry tearing from his throat, and his hands jerked, gripping onto Kade’s arms like a lifeline.
Vidias flinched at the reaction but didn’t stop.
“I know. I know it hurts.” His voice was softer now, but his hands remained steady. “Just hang in there.”
Virgo desperately wanted to close his eyes, to let the darkness numb the pain, but even sleep was rejecting him.
Vidias worked quickly, his hands sure and steady despite the urgency crackling through the air.
“Fallon, shift the wing.” Vidias instructed, his voice tight. “It really is hanging on by a thread, so we either have to reattach it, or…”
Virgo’s sluggish mind barely processed the hesitation, but must’ve Kade caught it.
“Or what?” He demanded, his voice sharper now, barely concealing the panic simmering beneath his frustration.
Vidias exhaled sharply through his nose. “Or we remove it completely.”
Virgo’s breath hitched, his fingers twitching weakly against Kade's arm. He couldn’t lose his wing.
Fallon went rigid behind him. “You’re kidding.”
“I wish I was.” Vidias’s voice was grim.
Kade’s grip tightened on Virgo’s hand.
Virgo wanted to beg them not to do it, to scream that he needed his wing, that they couldn’t just take it away, but his body refused to listen, his voice locked away, leaving him helpless in their hands.
The only thing that he managed was an agonized squeal.
Vidias hesitated, his eyes flickering over Virgo’s pale face.
“I know, chickadee.” He murmured. “I know you don’t want this, but we might not have a choice. I’ll try my best, I promise.”
Virgo barely had the strength to nod, not that it would have made a difference. His body was too weak, too drained to do anything but tremble against Kade’s hold.
Vidias moved with urgency, pulling out a curved needle and thick, black thread. His hands were steady, but his jaw was clenched tight, his usual easygoing expression hardened into something unreadable.
“Fallon, I need you to support the base of the wing.” Vidias instructed. “If there’s even a chance we can save it, I need to keep it from tearing more while I stitch.”
Fallon hesitated for only a second before he adjusted his grip, pressing one hand against the mangled remains of Virgo’s wing while the other braced his shoulder.
The touch sent a fresh wave of agony rolling through Virgo’s body, another strangled whimper escaping him.
“I know.” Vidias murmured again, his voice softer this time. “I’m so sorry.”
Then, the needle pierced his skin.
Virgo lurched violently, a muffled scream caught in his throat.
Kade swore under his breath, tightening his hold to keep Virgo from thrashing.
“Vidias, he’s—” Fallon started, his voice sharp with alarm.
“I know.” Vidias interrupted, not looking up from his work. “Just keep him still.”
Virgo couldn’t keep still. His entire body was screaming at him to move, to escape the unbearable pain ripping through his back, but there was nowhere to go.
The needle stabbed through him again, and again, and again, each pull of the thread sending sharp, electric agony radiating through his spine.
Eventually, his body gave up. He went limp, only managing to sob into Kade’s leg while the pain enveloped him.
“Do not let him pass out.” Vidias growled. “If he passes out, he’s dead.”
Kade’s breath hitched, his grip tightening around Virgo’s trembling fingers as if sheer will alone could keep him conscious.
“Virgo, hey, stay with me.” He urged, his voice rough with desperation. His free hand came up, cupping the side of Virgo’s sweat-dampened face. “Don’t you dare close your eyes, you hear me?”
Virgo heard him. He heard everything.
The way Kade’s voice shook, the way Fallon’s breath came in uneven bursts, the way Vidias’s hands worked feverishly, his movements precise but frantic. He heard it all, but he couldn’t respond.
Everything was slipping.
Another bout of pain shot through him, worse than the others, but it sent the darkness that had begun to bleed into his vision fleeing.
Another sound tore from his lips, somewhere between a shriek and a sob.
“I know, chickadee, I know.” Vidias murmured, voice thick with something barely restrained. “Just hold on for me. Just a little longer.”
Virgo couldn’t hold on. He wanted to, he really did, but his body was betraying him.
Kade pressed his forehead against Virgo’s, whispering something too soft for him to make out.
Virgo didn’t care. If he was being honest, he was scared.
Fallon suddenly let out a sharp curse. “Vidias, his wing—!”
“I know!” Vidias yelled.
There was a moment of nothing, until he felt Vidias stroking through his hair. “You’re going to hate me, bub, but I’m gonna try to reattach it later, okay? Right now, I just need to keep you alive.”
Virgo couldn’t respond. His body wasn’t his anymore, just a vessel for the unrelenting agony burning through him.
He felt the press of Kade’s forehead against his, grounding him, tethering him to something real when everything else was slipping away.
Fingers carded gently through his sweat-damp hair. Vidias. His touch was careful, deliberate, like he was trying to comfort Virgo despite the brutal reality of what was happening.
Then, he heard the sound of a knife being ripped from its sheath, and all at once, something was sawing at what remained of his wing.
It wasn’t gentle, either, it was more like desperate hacking.
No! He thought desperately. This can’t be happening!
The sound of the blade slicing through what remained of his wing was like a nightmare come to life. It wasn’t even a clean cut, more like ragged desperation, tearing through muscle and bone.
Each stroke felt like a strike against his very soul.
Virgo’s chest heaved with silent sobs, his entire body quaking from the sheer force of the pain.
He tried to pull away, to move, to do anything, but his body didn’t listen. The world around him swam as his consciousness flickered like a dying light. The darkness was creeping in again, calling to him, but the pain wouldn’t let him go.
“This knife is dull!” Vidias exclaimed.
“We don’t have another!” Kade yelled. “Just keep going!”
Virgo’s chest heaved as another wave of pain hit.
His body shook violently, every muscle in him screaming, but his body wouldn’t respond.
His vision flickered in and out, his mind fading between flashes of reality and the consuming darkness that was swallowing him whole.
Kade’s voice was suddenly in his ear, breath warm and shaky. “Don’t you dare fade on me, Virgo. Stay with me.”
His grip was iron around Virgo’s hand, and though the pain had dulled the edges of his thoughts, the sound of Kade’s voice reached him like a lifeline.
“He’s too weak to go anywhere now.” Vidias muttered. “Kade, get the poker hot. We’re going to need to cauterize it as soon as it’s off. Buddy, I promise I’ll try to get your wing back on later, but right now, it’s gotta come off.”
Kade’s grip on his hand tightened, forcing Virgo’s attention back. “I’ll be right back, Virgo. Don’t you dare close your eyes. Please.”
The words reverberated in Virgo’s skull as Kade eased away, but even as his heart fought against the pull of the darkness, he felt his strength waning.
With a final, sickening tear, the remains of his wing were separated from his body.
He screamed, the sound ripping through his throat.
The world around him spun, blurred, and the silence that followed felt wrong, like an absence of everything he had known.
His entire existence felt hollow now, the empty space where his wing had once been an aching, raw wound that went beyond the physical.
Kade returned almost instantly, the sound of the poker heating up like a distant echo in Virgo's ears.
He couldn't focus, couldn’t think, couldn’t do anything but lie there in the dark, clinging to the faintest traces of reality, desperately trying to hold onto the voice that was still there.
Vidias’s hands were gentle as he worked, his voice softer now as he whispered things that Virgo couldn’t fully understand, too tangled in the haze of pain to focus. “Just a little longer, chickadee, I promise. We’ll make sure you’re okay, just hold on.”
The sound of the poker sizzling as it met the raw wound on his back echoed through Virgo’s consciousness.
The smell of burning flesh followed, thick and bitter.
He tried to scream again, but no sound came out, the last of his strength drained.
“All done.” Vidias murmured as the poker was pulled away. “You did so good. It’s over now.”
Virgo wanted to sleep. He wanted to slip into unconsciousness, but the pain in his back was keeping him tethered to reality. Vidias let out a slow breath, his hand moving to brush sweat-damp hair from Virgo’s forehead.
“You’re going to be okay.” He promised softly. “You’re going to hate me for a while, but you’ll be okay.”
Virgo wanted to believe him.
He really did, but all he could feel was the phantom weight of the wing that was no longer there.
