The Arrival

One of the strangest feelings Victor could recall was the one of waking up in an entirely unfamiliar place. It was disorienting, confusion, and quite scary. This was one of the many reasons Victor disliked throwing himself into a portal he didn't know the destination of.

Seraph’s arms tightly wrapped around him, that's the first thing Victor became aware of. Seraph’s embrace was warm and calming, and the spirit even smelled relaxing, like warm milk. Victor wanted to lay there, wherever he was, and just sleep. But he knew that wasn't an option.

It all came rushing back to his weary brain. The chase. How close they came to being captured. Esper.

Victor was still in a state of shock. He didn't even know what to think of his friend now. Was he to be trusted? Victor wasn't quite sure. But he held onto the hope that all this was a misunderstanding, that Esper wasn't some master criminal who had played them all. He loved Esper, he couldn't imagine him being anything but a good person.

All of this couldn't be a lie. All the times Esper had pulled Victor closer to him on the couch, tenderly brushing through his hair couldn't have been fake. All the affection, all the care. It couldn't, it shouldn't, have been just a lie.

Victor couldn't bring himself to hate Esper. Not yet. It wasn't right. It didn't feel right.

Gritting his teeth, Victor prepared himself to face reality. He opened his eyes, finding Seraph holding him against his chest.

The portal had spit them into a wide, open field, bordered by a looming rainforest to their left. A warm, humid wind softly drifted through Victor's hair, and he could feel sweat forming under his hoodie. The sun beamed down, uninterrupted by the thin whisps of cloud that hung in the sky.

“You are awake,” Seraph murmured insightfully, keeping his voice low.

Victor rubbed his eyes, swallowing down nausea. “Yeah…”

“Where’s Esper?” Victor slurred, weakly pulling himself off Seraph’s torso.

“He has been sitting over there since I woke up,” Seraph replied, pointing behind them. Several yards back, Esper sat on a bluff, overlooking the drop below. He was motionless, wings wrapped around him.

I wonder if he's okay? Victor thought, recalling his frantic mood earlier.

Seraph pulled him close, frowning. “Victor, I think we are in danger.”

Victor blinked. “What?”

“Esper has been deceiving us! He is wanted by Gaea herself! I feel you are not safe with him, I think we must run.”

Victor drew his hands against his stomach, wringing his wrists. Seraph’s so quick not to trust Esper...Is he right? Do I really need to hear his explanation of what's going on? Victor squeezed his fingers. No, I trust Esper. I love him. There has to be something more going on.

Victor felt his throat close up. He couldn't bear to tell Seraph how he felt. He was talented at many things, but speaking his mind was not one of them. Offending his friend in a situation where he needed allies was not ideal. Biting his tongue, he nodded his head.

“But where?” he rasped, hoping Seraph’s plan would die out if he asked too many questions.

“We can go to the forest near us! Then we can hide from Esper!”

“Right…” Victor had a haunted look in his eyes. It seemed like his heart hadn't stopped surging in his chest since the guards had attacked them. He was practically covered in sweat. “That would work.” He hated to lie to his friend, but the other option seemed even worse.

“Do not worry, Victor,” Seraph murmured, grabbing him firmly by the hand. He pulled him up, allowing him to lean on his shoulder. “I will protect you.”

With one final look at Esper, Victor swallowed unsteadily. His gut twisted in a wicked knot, Victor numbly followed after Seraph, rushing to the jungle.

Author's Note- #protectseraphvictorandesper2k16

seriously bless those kids okay

(Art by GweenApple)