by SunnyJustice » Tue Dec 20, 2016 5:21 pm
[That's about the right time, Floofy. ^_^
I need Silas' height before I can add him. Oooh he's very cute though.]
Rowan took the blanket gratefully. Things like old teddy bears and hair ribbons would inexplicably draw him, because of the emotional significance attached to those objects. Love was the strongest emotion. Rowan could feel the lasting glow of love, even after the boy with the teddy bear had died, or after the girl had lost her ribbon.
He could feel the emotion attached to Lily's blanket too, so he cradled it tightly, but carefully. He didn't want to get his blood all over the soft blanket which was really quite cuddly. Rowan didn't want to let go, and he especially never wanted Lily to let go of him. He didn't even mind being teleported that much. The nausea couldn't compare with the pain searing through his abdomen that seemed to be worsening again. How much longer did he have to endure this?
"I hope they're here soon," Cilan told Olivia before going to sit down beside Ari. He immediately leaped to his feet when the others arrived, though. They were down one member, and Rowan's shirt was covered with blood.
"What the disgr-" Cilan started.
"Kylie's dead." Cyprian snarled at him. "We all would have died if it wasn't for Jaai and Mallory. And of course, me. So you better thank us, Ant boy."
Cilan wasn't in the mood for this attitude. He stared directly into Cyprian's eyes until the taller boy looked away, then nodded respectfully at Jaai before looking around. Mallory was in wolf form. No wonder it took him so long to notice her. Breathing a sigh of relief, he knelt down and gave her a big hug. "I'm glad you're okay."
"Hey, little brat. Your cuz needs help." Cyprian snapped.
Cilan stood up, took one look at Rowan, and had made up his mind. "Follow me," he told everyone. "We need to get to the village now. Rowan, I am carrying you."
"You sure you can manage?" Cyprian sneered.
Cilan took a deep breath, bracing a hand against a nearby tree. He didn't want to punch Cyprian in the face right now. After a second, he took his hand away. A blackened and smoldering handprint was left, seared into the bark.
Cyprian stopped making comments then. Must've realized it wasn't wise to play with fire.
"Up you go," Cilan said with a grunt as he lifted Rowan into his arms. He was Solara's son, he could carry his cousin bridal style. His mother's ridiculous strength was bound to have rubbed off on him.
"Alright everyone. Come with me, I know a family that will welcome us." Cilan began running down the hill, making sure to keep Rowan as still as possible.
[Time to introduce the Windwoods kids.]
Every night, the village would be serenaded to sleep by a quartet, consisting of two girls and two boys. Every member of the village was part of one. Tonight was Gavotte's turn. He sat on the edge of the fountain, beside his sister Casedy and his friends Silas and Timpani. They were playing Silent Night, but Gavotte's tenor saxophone solo was interrupted by a stampede. Timpani put her trumpet down.
"Refugees," she said in her low voice. She was 5'11", one of the tallest of the quartet.
Gavotte squinted at the approaching kids. The leader was carrying a wounded boy, but that was... no, it couldn't be. Weren't these two boys dead?
"Gavotte! Gavotte Tenuto!"
That was Cilan's voice. It was true. Cilan was actually here, so that had to be Rowan. They were still alive... but the hurt boy seemed to be barely hanging on.
Cilan stopped in front of Gavotte, panting as he knelt down with his cousin in his arms. "Casedy, Gavotte, it's nice to see you," he said before waving at the two new faces.
"Timpani," the tall girl introduced herself simply.
"I'll get my parents," said Gavotte before playing the C# major scale on his saxophone. It was his cry for help that everyone knew about, but only his parents were allowed to answer. F# minor was for everyone to answer.
In almost no time, his parents Cadence and Tacet came running out of their house, still barefoot in their pajamas. There was no shame about that. Everyone in Windwoods could wear pajamas and walk around barefoot, and nobody would judge. They kept the area so clean that shoes weren't necessary. The street was literally a lush carpet of grass and small flowers.
A long time ago, Solara had given her blessing to this village. Now the land was so fertile, everything was covered in green and vivid colors. Vines bearing trumpet-like flowers curled around each building, strengthening the walls. Any garden in Windwoods would produce crops four times as big as regular ones. But the best plants here were the sunflowers. They grew everywhere except the roofs. Just like Parliament, Windwoods never needed to use Adam Lin's electricity. The solar panels here, in this small village, could easily supply power to half the country if they ever needed backup.
"The Adamsons?" breathed Gavotte's father, Tacet. "You're alive?"
Cadence kicked her husband in the heel. "Not for long, if you don't heal the poor boy!"
"Sorry." Tacet chuckled lightly and knelt down, placing his hands on Rowan's wound. "I'm not one of your family's healers. This might sting a little," he said.
"That is cold," Rowan murmured but didn't flinch.
After a few seconds, Tacet Tenuto lifted up the boy's shirt to check. His wound was completely healed. It had obviously not been closed earlier, since he was still in the process of bleeding out.
"He needs rest," Cadence said sternly. "You all need rest."
"Our house has many empty rooms, so you are more than welcome to stay with us." Tacet said with a smile. Gavotte was glad he didn't explain about the empty rooms. Many of the family was murdered because of a rampaging criminal.