Hey guys... What if Gavriel didn't die?
What if when he decided to be a self sacrificing idiot and take on the army on the other side of the gates on his own, he didn't die? What if Aedion was the one who saved him? What if....
Clearly, Gavriel ment to give his life so that his son could live. He saw how beaten down, how little Aedion had left.
But he really didn't know his son that well.
He was running on empty, that much Aedion knew, but the second those gates closed separating him from his father, something deep inside him exploded.
Before he knew it, Aedion was sprinting, sword in hand. He charged up the stone steps with a renewed energy and a sense of urgency.
He would not let his father die, not on his watch.
Not after he had barely gotten to know him. Not after he finally had found it in him to pursue a relationship with the male who had sired him.
He was moving too slow. He needed to get to the other side of that damn wall. Reaching the top of the steps, he didn't even think before bolting down the wall walk and hurling himself over the edge.
With the agility only a half-fae warrior could muster, Aedion rolled as he hit the ground, lessening the impact of his fall. In a split second he was back on his feet and charging into the fight.
The Illken were much too focused on Gavriel to notice the Wolf that assaulted them.
Aedion's sword was an extension of his body as he cut his way through the beasts. He had to get to his father. Neither of them would walk away from this if they tried to fight on their own. But together... Together they could make a difference.
With a yell, he cut the head of an Illken clean off, showering him with its blood. A firm kick was enough to knock the body down and clear a path to the Fae warrior he was desperately trying to reach.
He made it to the male moments later. A subconscious desicion had Aedion standing back-to-back with hid father before Gavriel even realized he was there.
And that is how they fought. Nearly in sync, father and son, both pushing their limits, battled back againt the beasts together.
The Lion and the Wolf - an incredibly deadly duo. The ground around them was piling up with bodies.
Eventually the number of opponents began to lessen. One by one, they kept being struck down. Aedion began noticing that several had taken flight and were hauling ass back to the safety of their lines. He smiled, and fought back against the remaing bastards even harder. This would end now.
With a twisting maneuver he had learned from Rowan, he block an attack and then thrust his sword into his current opposition's chest. He proceeded to yank the weapon out, dropping the Illken where it stood.
Breathing heavily he looked around for his next target, and realized that there was none to be found.
Everything was quiet, save his breathing.
And the breathing of the male behind him.
Aedion lowered his sword as he turned around and met the gaze of his father. The male's chest was rapidly rising and falling, showcasing just how hard he had fought - just in case the bodies that littered the ground around him didn't advertise it. Those tawny eyes darting around Aedion's face, searching for signs of pain or fatigue. Finding none, they rested on the gold-rimmed eyes that stared right back.
They stood like that for a few seconds before Aedion spoke up, breaking the silence. "What the hell were you thinking?"
Gavriel cocked an eyebrow. "The same thing I'm thinking now - that you need rest, Aedion. And food. I..." he cleared his throat, "I didn't think you would have survived had you continued fighting. I was not going to watch you die."
Aedion blinked once before responding. "I've had too many people die on me, I'm not about to add your name to that list." Shifting his stance, he swayed unsteadily. Gods, he was tired. How the hell had he just fought off a horde of Illken? Had the ground been moving like that the whole time?
Concerned, his father took a step forward and reached out to steady him, but stopped short, as if he was affraid to show the internal feelings he felt for his son, lest the son push him away again. Instead, he motioned for the sword still gripped in Aedions hand.
Aedion handed it to him without thinking, and Gavriel wiped the blade on one of the numerous corpeses around them, managing to get a fair amount of grime and blood off of it.
Giving the sword back he nodded towards the gate that had separated them. "I'll make you a promise Aedion. I won't give you another name to add to your list, as long as you don't give me another name to add to mine." He looked back to his son who was studying him intensly.
"It's a deal," said Aedion.
And with that, the two warriors made their way to the gate, which opened enough to let them both in.