"We have to get out of here. It's not like you can hold this up forever. And ZenTar won't be able to come and help us."
The brat nodded in silent agreement.
With a second thought, ZaiWin looked at him, studying him carefully. Before, when some of the feimao's blood had gotten on him, he'd been immediately sick. But now, even though he'd been inside that contaminated area for so long, he seemed to be doing fine. Of course he looked tired, and was probably about to faint at any moment, a consequence of having over-exerted himself again, ZaiWin concluded by the feverish but stubborn glaze of his eyes. But that was more than expected, taking into account the absurd amount of energy he'd just spent. That aside …
Just to play it safe, ZaiWin fished inside the small pouch he carried on his belt and produced a blue crystal, passing it to his hands.
"Hold on to this until we're out of here."
Snow accepted the crystal and closed his hands around it, pressing it against his chest as if it were a rare, precious stone. For a moment he closed his eyes and simply took a deep breath.
Grimacing from the pain, ZaiWin finally stood up. At least while inside that golden dome he only had to worry about his paining body.
Squinting, he tried to glimpse the world beyond the golden shield, trying to guess which way ZenTar and the others had escaped to. But the world outside was darkened and black, the rotting still taking effect. What was left of the trees and vegetation was quickly wasting away, filling the air with poisonous, corroding miasmas. Well, he couldn't worry with which direction to take, he decided after taking a good look around. The important thing was reaching safer grounds. If the golden dome shattered he'd be able to survive, but the brat still kneeling at his feet probably wouldn't.
"Let's go," ZaiWin decided, offering him his hand to help him to his feet, and Snow looked up at him, still holding the crystal against his chest, accepting his help with his other hand.
Snow really wanted to get up. He even tried to do so with all his might. But, surprisingly enough, his legs simply wouldn't obey. Trying once more, he only managed to stumble and almost fall. But then those arms were around him again, pulling him to his feet.
Unlike all the other times when ZaiWin had easily picked him up as if he were weightless, now he too seemed to be struggling to support his weight, his breath catching in his chest, a strained groan escaping his throat. And when Snow practically fell against his chest, he could hear how hard his heart was beating, the air flowing into his lungs in short, forced breaths. Even so, the arms around him held him tightly, as if he were afraid he might drop him.
Quickly steadying himself, ZaiWin took a deep breath before speaking.
"I'll count to three. When I reach three undo this golden shield of yours. If you don't, you'll only make me spend extra energy breaking through it, do you understand?"
Snow nodded, focusing on the sound of his voice.
"And hold your breath. I'll be as fast as I can."
Snow nodded again and ZaiWin tightened the hold around him, taking another deep breath.
"Ready? One. Two. Three!"
At the sound of that word, Snow released the golden array, and then he wasn't there anymore, the wind rushing over him, whipping his hair against his face. ZaiWin had been so fast that he wasn't sure he'd undone the dome in time. His feet tapped something hard and then he wasn't there anymore either. The sound of rustling leaves rushed right over his head, followed by the sound of something cracking under his feet. He'd noticed before. ZaiWin really seemed to be able to fly, but he couldn't fly for very long distances, having to stop from jump to jump, even though he did so at such high speed Snow didn't have enough time to see where they were.
When they finally stopped Snow felt dizzy, but the larger body holding him wasn't in better shape, his knees buckling, forcing him to take a step to one side to remain standing. Still ZaiWin didn't release him, raising his head to look at the bright sky above. They were out of that dying area, Snow knew by the green color of the patches of grass growing right next to his feet.
The sound of a small bird chirping just above his head filled his ears, and he finally allowed himself to breathe.
"Only one more time," ZaiWin warned him, his voice audibly weaker, and Snow nodded. And he wasn't there anymore again.
Utter darkness was all Snow could see, and then sound of raging wind filled his ears, dragging his clothes with it.
Stumbling forward, ZaiWin fell on his knees, his heavy weight dragging Snow down with him. Taken by surprise, not knowing what to do, Snow urgently tried his best to hold him, wrapping his arms around his shoulders.
Even though ZaiWin's legs had given in, he was still very much awake, and the first thing he did was to looked up at him, as if to make sure he hadn't lost him on the way. Only after making sure that he was still there and in one piece, did he turn his head towards that raging sound, his long black air completely blown back, whipping the air behind his back.
Snow followed his gaze and couldn't help gape at the massive column of revolving air spiraling right in front of him. Just by looking at it he was sure that anything that would dare try to cross it would be immediately torn to pieces.
Raising one hand in front of his face, ZaiWin made a small, dark butterfly appear over his palm and simply send it flying towards the impenetrable storm. As to be expected, the moment the delicate butterfly reached it, its small black wings were torn from its body and the darkness that had formed it was completely wiped away. And yet, somehow, it would seem that the light touch of its wings was all it took to alert whoever was beyond that wall to their presence.
In an explosion of air that almost sent them both flying backwards, the column of wind was suddenly gone, and ZenTar appeared from within it with a worried, alarmed expression on his face.
"You're here already?"
ZenTar literally ran to them, and ZaiWin took a deep breath, finally relaxing, his arms loosing their strength.
"I thought I had to go all the way back there to get you! I was just waiting for your signal. Can you move?"
ZaiWin lowered his head, his loose hair falling like shadows over his shoulders and face, and chuckled ironically.
"Unexpectedly yes, I can move," he replied, and Snow finally relaxed as well.
He was all right. Alive, breathing, talking. Snow's eyes closed. It was supposed to be only for a moment, but they refused to open again.
"Shit!" a voice he by now knew all too well cursed right next to his ear, and a pair of large hands held him again, even though he could hardly feel them anymore. His face was leaning against something soft and warm, and somehow it smelled very good.
"What's wrong with him? What happened back there?" ZenTar asked, kneeling beside him, ready to help him, but immediately stopped himself at the last moment, noticing the pair of bright-blue eyes glaring menacingly at him.
Nox ZaiWin realized it too. That fucking instinct of preservation that made him suspicious of everyone, even of the man who had left everything behind to protect and care for him, when the entire world would have rather have seen him dead. Embarrassed, he forced his rational mind to take over.
"Help me lay him down," he asked, since he barely had enough strength in his aching arms to push the brat away from him, and ZenTar obeyed, holding him carefully, moving abnormally slower than usual.
"Is it the same thing that happened back at the village?" ZenTar asked, looking at the boy's unconscious face.
Even before he had pressed a hand against his forehead, ZaiWin already knew the answer to that. He had felt it when he'd fallen against him, just a moment ago. He was too hot, especially taking into account his normal low body temperature.
"He's running a fever," he concluded, and turned the Snow's face towards him, lightly slapping his unnaturally rosy cheeks.
"Hey, brat! Open your eyes!" he commanded, the same way he did every time he had to drag him out of one of his hellish memories, and Snow frowned but didn't obey, which made his slap him again. "Open your eyes!"
"Nox, if he's running a fever shouldn't we let him rest?" ZenTar suggested, actually sounding sorry for the boy, but ZaiWin ignored him, still trying to wake him up.
"Open your eyes!! Don't you dare just fall asleep and drag me down with you again! Wake up, you freaking brat!" he demanded, slapping him a bit harder, the boy's cheeks visibly reddening under his harsh ministrations, and his silvery eyelashes finally trembled, his tired, feverish eyes opening to look up at him.
"That's more like it!" ZaiWin declared with a victorious smile.
Holding Snow's burning face between his hands, he leaned over him until his noses almost touched.
"What's wrong with you? You're fading away and you're dragging me with you. So tell me what's wrong so that I can fix it."
ZaiWin knew those words were the undeniable truth the moment they left his lips. He couldn't say how, or why he knew it. Maybe it was because of all the times he had felt like he was about to die, every time Snow got lost in that damn drowning memory. But now he could clearly feel it. The brat was getting sicker by the minute, and he would unmistakably drag him down with him.
Snow closed his eyes, his lips quivering, and two small tears slid down his face, disappearing beneath his hands.
"My back … burns …" was all he could say.
He had tried to ignore it all this time, focusing on more important things. Now he felt really tired and just wanted to get some sleep. But those blue eyes, staring straight at him, wouldn't allow him to rest. And so, the only thing he could offer as an answer to his question were those words.
"Your back …?" ZaiWin pulled away from Snow and grabbed his arm, trying to sit him up. "Help me pull him up," he asked ZenTar, who had been watching the entire scene with a dumbfounded expression on his face.
Blinking awake from his stupor, ZenTar quickly complied, helping the boy up, holding him in place. Snow's head fell listless over his own chest, and he could immediately tell that ZaiWin was right, and that the kid was running a high fever.
Keeping his thoughts to himself, ZenTar watched in silence as ZaiWin roughly tried to undress the kid, pulling his clothes up over his back. And then he too couldn't help hold his breath.
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Bad, bad ZaiWin! Slapping dear Snow like that, when he's sick! 😠 I'm sure that if he would just have kissed him, he would have woken up much sooner! 😤