In my haste of success, I have released something I was unaware of. That nameless man must be laughing from beyond the grave, as I was unaware of the diversity of his creation.
The Garru are slightly sentient, which wouldn't be an issue if they hadn't been adapted to manipulate Kraken. Adversely, they can actively consume Gia as well, though they must be paired before they can. I wouldn't have seen this, wouldn't have even understood it's possibility if not for the last child prepared for his “ascent.” After losing three acolytes, I had to personally track the child down. Though he never truly stood a chance against my power, he put up a surprising fight.
The Garru had given the vessel an aptitude in Kraken manipulation, and I doubt I would have found success if I had been a millennia younger, but viciousness is a tool most effective against the naive. I had to gut what was once his Garru before I was able to subdue him. His primary was of strength, but once he was starved of iron and his Garru disposed of, he was little more than what he had been intended to be: cattle.
Numbly, he was aware of something happening. A sensation of movement, being dragged? Finally, the warm sunbathed his upper torso fully. The warmth penetrated his skin, filling him with a sense of completion.
A wet surprise came to him, falling over his face and body. Opening his eye, he lurched forward. Kurt was there corking a stone canteen, smiling grimly.
“Creepy shit, brotund.” Kurt moved with the steady grace of any man on a mission, knowing how to get the job done, and the process by which each step took place. It was down right irritating.
“Nice trick though, I'll have a full harvest of line trees to take back. Might be something to exploit there...” The sunlight made Kurt's outline seem holy, the bastard. Kurt's brows knit together, “I heard that little big brother.”
“Sorry,” Dorian murmured, bleary eyed in the noon day sun. “What happened?”
Kurt, gesturing to the open meadow they were in, then pointed over to where they had been, next to the large boulder that was now almost surrounded by line trees. “You did some Priorius nonsense on those trees, made me a whole bunch of Vega, then thought it'd be a good time for a nap. You got pale, paler than I'd ever seen you, then you went green. Like actually green, I could have hid you in the trees if it were summer. Instead, I took you out to the meadow, assuming you were becoming a new type of tree. A Dorian tree, squat, hardy, and implacably dumb.”
Dorian smiled, snorted, and stood. Finding his shirt nearby, he put it on. “When are you going to take this seriously?”
Kurt, still holding an expression that was mocking, replied while gathering his pack. “Dorian, one thing I figured a long time back was that you weren't normal. The Gods only know what you can do, them and the priests, but firstly, you're my extraordinarily dim-witted brother. I know I can't know what you're going through, but I know I should just expect to be surprised. If I freak out as much as you do, it would be as chaotic as the blind leading the drunk. I don't want you to get scared, but if I join you in that, it won’t help a thing. Besides, the priests don't tell us anything about what you guys can do, just that you can do things that defy explanation. It’s a good chance to learn, I guess, but also, so long as you don't push your luck in town or around anyone else,” Kurt shrugged, “It doesn't really matter.”
Not sure how to proceed, Dorian put his shirt on, reattached his trail pants, and retrieved his new walking stick. “Oh, wait one second.” Kurt put a hand out, gesturing to the line pole. Dorian handed it over. Kurt said, “You've got about ten seconds after I do this, so be swift. Grab the stave where you'll typically grip it and hold it tight.” Kurt took out his flask and emptied it on the middle area of the stave. Dorian grabbed it, and his hand molded itself onto the stave, after the allotted time he removed his hand to find a perfect indentation left behind.
“Neat,” said Dorian, smirking slightly. Kurt replied, “Try not to get it wet if you can, I'll burn some engravings into it to keep it from getting ruined if it rains. Thanks to your fresh outburst of evil magics and your inability to keep yourself from napping, we're going to have to make a straight line for the pond if we're gonna make it back before our parents get peeved. You ready?”
Dorian gave a swift nod, no longer dizzy, and gestured with his palm outstretched. “Lead the way.”
Making their way through the brush wasn't so bad, Dorian mused. The new pant covers kept anything with thorns from causing any problems, and the coolness of the day kept him from sweating openly.
Kurt, making his way easily and clearing brush as they went, asked in a way that came across disinterested, “So what all can you do. I don't think you're completely sure yet, but you must have some ideas.” He used his line pole to hold back some brush, letting Dorian underneath.
Thinking for a moment, Dorian started to list what he understood. “Well, every time I do something, I get light headed. Following that, I get some weird cravings, like just now it felt like I could taste sunlight baking my skin.” Kurt caught up, making a “hmm” noise as he did so. He rolled his hand, letting Dorian continue.
“There is the whole Gwam thing I did, used it again to cut through the line trees, but it makes me want to puke every time.” Kurt nodded, then replied, “I figured you couldn't cut through that tree so easily. That's cheating, you know.”
Dorian frowned, exasperated. “Cheating? Like it's cheating when I have to take two steps for every one step you take?”
Kurt looked back, giving a mock glare, “Oh yeah, that's totally the same thing. As if being able to walk faster is on level grounds compares to carrying a stick of Gwam that weighs more than you do and tossing it about like it weighs next to nothing. I'd trade you if you let me.” He smiled then, one eyebrow raised.
“Nah, I'll keep the cards I'm dealt, thank you.” Dorian continued, “But whenever I do that, well it's kind of weird...” Dorian tapered embarrassed. Kurt, being the person he was, replied with utter nonchalance, “I don't care Dorian, whatever it is I'm sure it’s just a part of what you are. You can't change that, you were born the way you were. Let me take a wild guess, you can't help but think about other boys in a way that makes you all kinds of bubbly inside.” Dorian, face covered in disgust, said “You know, mom used to say that we all have a tendency to extend our own insecurities onto others.”
Kurt laughed, “Clever,” then took on a childish tone, “I know you are but what am I. You really are ten years old, aren't you?” Dorian glared at his brother. “I don't care what you fancy, little brother. One of the other trappers is like that, he's about my age. I let him down softly enough,” Kurt put a fist over his mouth like he was going to cough, but really, he was covering a smile, “I know you think about that brown eyed girl quite often. It was one of the reasons I didn't mention the open thinking thing you do, you were fueling me with plenty of shit to throw at you later.” Kurt smirked.
Dorian flushed, “Hang on now, don't you go changing the subject. You let him down softly? Pa-lease. You're so full of yourself you probably didn't even turn him away outright.” Kurt snorted, “Baby brother, if only you knew the burden of being the most attractive young man in the valley. If I were to offer my private time to anyone that asked, I'd never have a moment with my own thoughts. Then again, the same is also true if I spend all my spare time with you.” Kurt chuckled.
“Oh whatever, if I knew I would have stopped, I think.” Dorian felt pensive for a moment. Kurt chimed in then, “No, I was flattered by his curiosity in me, but that kind of thing doesn't really bother me or anything, I just very much enjoy the presence of a fine feminine figure. I suspect it's the lack of hair.” Kurt sometimes said things like that, honest but offhanded. Honesty, Dorian figured, was a good quality to have. “You shouldn't be so disgusted Dorian.” Dorian felt suddenly abashed. “Judgment isn't really the window I want to see the world through. Love is love, my dim-wit little minion, they're just people that like bananas over melons.”
He left the feeling of shame behind, replacing it with shock. “That's sick,” Dorian said, sounding every bit the off balance ten-year-old.
Kurt shrugged, “To each her own, or his own, or whatever. If I were to have hate for someone for being different, I'd have likely turned you in to the Priorius a long time back. You know they offer a thousand Vega for finding one?”
Dorian was unaware of this, for a moment or two he felt a chaos of emotions. Not sure how to feel, he circled back to the original topic. “Anyhow, there is that whole hearing what people think thing. Thinking back, I used to pick up on how people felt too, though it was more muddled.”
Kurt laughed, “But you spoke to the weaver girl, that can't be a coincidence. You think about it often enough that I, uh,” Kurt stammered. “Well knowing you're as scared as a wild chicken when it comes to the finer sex, I took the liberty of inquiring about her name.” Dorian raised an eyebrow. “It's pronounced “Kwena” but spelled with a Q. Quena.” Kurt steeled himself for a moment, feeling a bit guilty before saying, “I got tired of hearing you think about her as the brown eyed weaver girl. She's a person, not a description, that's how you should see all people, Dorian.”
Dorian, now feeling so awful and embarrassed, wanted to bury himself in the dirt right there and die. Adapting an air of absolution, he nodded and said, “You're right.”
Kurt nodded, letting the serious moment pass, then said, “So, anything else? That priest made a new forge right in front of the town, oh yeah, and he can fly. Felt any unearthly desires to defy gravity?”Dorian, realized that his brother was opening a way past the moment of severity, patted on is stomach. “Nope, must be the breads, gravity has a very strong grasp on me.” He grinned. “But some of the stuff he did do scared me a bit. The whole swirling mass of blackness that turned in to a building was terrifying and jarring. I felt something when he did that, like my spine caught fire, it took a lot for me not to wince or stiffen when it happened.”
“Oh, what were you gonna say that you were so embarrassed about anyhow?” They had kept a steady pace throughout the conversation, and Dorian was gradually breathing heavier while his brother didn't seem to have any problem with the grueling pace he set.
“Oh,” Dorian took a deep breath. He stopped, looking his brother in the eye. “Promise you wont be creeped out?”
Kurt sighed, “Dorian, if I were to be creeped out by everything you do that's creepy, I would spend every second of my life basking in the filth of your pudgy oddness.” He gave Dorian a frank look, “No I won’t be creeped out, and I won’t judge you either. So, what is it?”
Dorian, sighing in defeat said, “Afterwards, It's like I'm a predator. I can smell blood a mile off, and it makes me hungry.” Dorian looked at the ground. He knew it was gross, an abominable thing really. He wondered if whether that made him less than human. He looked up.
Kurt's face was awash in horror, Dorian looked away. Feeling ashamed of himself, he started to walk forward, when Kurt burst out laughing. “It's likely something from what you do.” He laughed again, “So what. You're a predator, big deal. We all are. Let me guess, dark meats help it?”
Dorian thought, taste buds salivating, he nodded. “Kind of, but not completely unless I eat a whole bunch of it.” He raised an eyebrow. “Do you know something I don't?”
Kurt, starting their walk back up said, “No but I've got a hunch. Sunlight helped you after you helped us grow a bunch of line trees, dark meat with heavy lifting, and I'm guessing some other strange thing with the mind trick.” Kurt made a thoughtful sound. “Well, the caretaker that took you the same day of the announcements, she was worried about your bleeding. I told her I'd be back if you hadn't woken, and she said something about how if you hadn't stopped bleeding, there was a supplement she was supposed to force down your gullet. I'm guessing every time you do something, there's a cost. Maybe that supplement has got some of the stuff you need.”
“Oh, I remember her. She seemed pissy with me, like I was intruding on her.” Kurt just chuckled.
“Well yeah, she was giving me the eye like I was a fresh elk steak, and she hadn't eaten in a month. Maybe I can use some of my irresistible charm to get a little of the stuff. She said something about using it meant she had to report it. I don't know, but I think I could distract her long enough to sneak away with some.” Kurt looked pensive for a moment, then seemed to exude resolve.
“Oh whatever, Kurt. Here's some advice, you might not be judgmental but by the gods, you are full of yourself.” Dorian stumbled forward, but Kurt was there to straighten him.
“I'm not really all that full of myself. She was quite interested, but I suspect it was more than just my charm and good looks. We've got a house name, Dorian, don't think people won’t try to take advantage of that. Besides, why do you think she was pissy? I told her I'd be back alone, our parents were too busy with the announcements that night.” Kurt tilted his head but kept his chin tucked. He wiggled his eyebrows, and smirked.
Oh, oh my. Turns out I'm the bastard. “Yeah, but you’re my little big bastard brother, that I love enough to spend time with over some girl. Besides, I think she really wasn't all that interested in my shoulders, just the name they bore.” Kurt looked a little hurt but took it in stride. “I think we're almost there, the pond should be just past these trees, over the hill.”
Dorian sighed, “Finally. Any more of you whining about all the attention you get, and I'll find a cave bear and ask him to politely put me out of my misery.”
Kurt, not one to miss an opportunity to jab at his brother said, “As if a cave bear could finish that meal alone. It would take three of 'em at least.” Dorian, not amused, just kept his pace until they came to the top of a rise.
Looking out from a high point, the pond his brother spoke about was something out of a dream. The water, clear blue green, had a slight glow to it. He could indeed see all the way to the bottom, but despite this, there didn't seem to be any vegetation growing within the water itself. The outer rim of the pond was bursting with life, moss gathered so high that when they approached the pool, Dorian had to rip it away to get through.
“Alright, let’s see. Got those swimming shorts?” Kurt asked, looking through his pack for his own.
“I do, I'm wearing them.” Dorian said, confused as to why his brother hadn't done the same.
“I suppose there's little difference between your britches and your swim trunks, eh?” Kurt had his thinking face on.
“Don't hurt yourself, Kurt. Thinking isn't a game for everyone, and I don't think I can drag your giant ass all the way back to town by myself.” While Dorian spoke, he began undressing, and getting his change of undergarments out to set next to his pack.
Kurt said, “Well, thinking might not be my specialty, but I'm one hell of a swimmer. Judging by the look of you, you should float plenty fine.”
Kurt smiled a wicked smile, one that spoke of malicious intentions. Dorian shot a look at him that said “Don't”, but it was already gripped deeply in his brother's mind. Dorian made to get to the water before his brother could grab him, but his long gate and early pubescent speed outmatched Dorian no matter what he did. Before Dorian could get into the water, he was air born. He did what he could to avoid a belly flop, but managed to hit his side hard enough that it didn't matter. The water washed over him, shockingly cool.
In a rush of bubbles, an arm grabbed him and hauled him up. He gasped, fearing he would drown, until he opened his eyes to see his brother. The bastard acted like he'd done nothing.
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“Not bad right!” He laughed, and the sound echoed around them. Holding Kurt's arm to keep himself afloat, he looked about from the perspective of being in the pool. At the opposite side of the pool was a mound that seemed to loom. The trees were thick around the pool, making it feel like they were all alone in the world. It was nice.
Dorian laughed just to hear the sound echo, then grinned boyishly at his brother. His brother, ever the instructor, immediately launched into teaching Dorian how to swim. It was really easy, but some of his brother's instructions didn't seem to add up.
“Wait, how do you swim quickly?” Dorian asked. Kurt looked peeved, like being questioned was against the rules. Preposterous.
“I, well I just move faster?” Kurt replied, unsure what to say.
“You swim like a frog, why not like this.” Dorian was a little prideful that he picked it up so easily. It was kind of odd, he just swam like he'd been swimming his whole life, like he'd done this so many times that it only made sense. He swam, one arm over another, kicking his feet as he went.
“If I swim like a frog, you swim like a drowning ten-year-old.” Dorian stopped swimming, leveling himself to tread water. He smiled at his brother. The smile only went so far, because his brother, using the angle of the edge of the pool to jump from, dived after his little brother. Dorian took off, moving fluidly through the water. In his mind, he envisioned himself being part of the water, just another drop moving with the grace Dorian himself lacked on land. He swam hard, towards the other end, looking back he saw that he had left his brother in the metaphorical dust.
“How's the view back there? Must be pretty lonely.” Dorian said, chiding his older brother. He would never understand what it was about younger siblings blowing shit at older siblings, but it always seemed to light a fire under his older brother's ass. Kurt redoubled his efforts and chased after Dorian with the haste of an autumnal windstorm. Before Dorian knew it, he had completely crossed the pond. The edge by the precipice was relatively steep, but if Dorian leaned against the rock at the edge of the pool he could stand. When his brother caught up, he looked exhausted.
“Alright, it's official. Mom cheated on dad with a fish.” Kurt smiled warmly at his little brother, Dorian could sense a touch of pride through his ability. He gripped it and shut it off again, having not realized he started receiving again in all the chaos of swimming for his young life.
Kurt looked up, then climbed up to the edge of the pool, then jumped in, looking oddly curious. When he surfaced, he said, “Oh yeah. We can totally do it, its steep enough.”
“Do what?” Dorian asked, a sense of dread filling his guts.
“Wanna jump off the top?” Kurt asked, pointing to the rise. He smirked at Dorian, a sense of wildness to him. It was contagious.
Dorian nodded, “age before beauty.” Dorian gestured for Kurt to lead the way. They slogged their way out of the water, holding their shorts up as they went. Kurt, muttering something about age and beauty, deftly found a way up the side of the mound. They made the way up in short order, though the ground itself was all rock and loose gravel. There wasn't any dirt there, just dark stone. The hard surface wasn't a challenge to climb. Short of stumbling a few times, they made their way up with relative ease.
Upon reaching the top, Dorian looked around at the view. The pond itself wouldn't really be noticeable unless you had a bird’s eye view. “How'd you find this place, anyhow?” asked Dorian while they both caught their breath. Continuing his inspection of the gorgeous view, Dorian saw that he could see the valley edge from where they stood, a sheer slate wall of blackness, like a menacing symbol of their own limitations. Outside of the wall, the wilds seem to just run on, as far as his vision could take him.
“It was when Mom had the scouts all running around, working on maps. They still aren't complete, but we had to get the edges mapped in.” Kurt was caught up in the view himself, then pointed to another tall mound that happened to have a sizable tree at the top. “I climbed that and helped with the map from there. I spotted the pond but decided to keep my mouth shut. There are enough wilds out here for everybody, really, but I wanted a little something for ourselves, ya know?”
Dorian nodded, admiring his brother's guile, then said “Thanks Kurt. This was awesome.”
Kurt smiled, feeling abashed yet prideful. He gestured to the edge, “Impotent before the divine?”
Uh-uh. “Nooope. This was your idea after all.” Dorian, despite the appreciation he felt towards his brother, became suddenly unsure.
“Afraid of heights?” Kurt asked.
“No, but I do respect them. I'm a whole lot of bubbly boy to be falling from the sky.” Kid, if you only knew. “You first, I'll join afterwards.”
“Oh no, not gonna happen. With my luck, you'll land right on me, and like you said, you're a whole lot of blubbery boy to fall from the sky.” Kurt snickered.
“Hey, I said bubbly, like in the bath tub, not blubbery like I'm a living tub of lard.” Dorian glared daggers at his brother.
“Ah,” Kurt said, hiding a grin, “I must have misheard you. I must be hard of hearing at my old age you see.” The bastard was doing all he could not to laugh, Dorian could tell. Dorian just stared at him, hoping he could put ice in the gaze.
“Okay, okay, okay. Together then?” Kurt asked, changing the subject.
“We'll belly flop the worst belly flop in history, or you, with all your gangly limbs, will intertwine us and we'll fall flat onto the rocks.” Dorian knitted his eyebrows after saying this, then considered. If one fell on the other, it would be bad news that would never make its way back to Metan.
“Okay,” Dorian said, steeling himself. “Let’s do this.”
Kurt grinned looking roguish. “Keep pace as best as you can, I won’t leave ya behind.” Kurt looked over at Dorian and extended a hand. Dorian looked at it, when he heard Kurt say, “I promise.” All insecurity left Dorian in that moment, like breaking the surface of the water after a long dive. He took his brother’s hand, fully prepared to do something completely stupid.
“Here we go!” Kurt took off, taking long powerful strides. Dorian hadn't taken two steps before he felt his brother pulling Dorian forward. Feeling rushed, Dorian dug deep and drove hard to catch up. To his own surprise, he did. They approached the edge, lightning running through both, and they leaped with all the might they possessed. Time slowed as they lifted to the air.
Wind ripping through their ears, they simply lived in the moment. Dorian heard a howl of glee out of his brother’s throat, and despite himself, a whoop from his own. The clear water seemed to be coming on, faster and faster. Dorian didn't know when he lost his brother’s grip, but in the exhilaration of the moment, neither of them cared. Dorian brought his legs together at the last second, and the world was replaced.
Water shot up Dorian's nostrils, so he exhaled hard through them to get them cleared. The sound of the underwater world wasn't deaf, but it wasn't raucous like land was. He opened his eyes to see his brother slowing to a stop just before his feet hit the bottom. His brother laughed, though it was garbled through the water, Dorian knew the utter joy of that laughter. Kurt coiled himself on the bottom, and had his attention grasped by something. Dorian tried to follow his eye but was beginning to run out of air. Dorian kicked off the bottom and made his way to the surface.
Lungs about to burst, he took a sharp breath, then gave a cathartic “Whoo!” at the top of his lungs. It was dumb, but in that moment he could care less. Kurt joined shortly thereafter, and they took a moment to be loud, boisterous, young men, excited to be alive. After several exclamations of “I can't believe,” and “By the gods,” they calmed themselves enough to just tread water and let their hearts settle.
Kurt asked, still panting, “Did you see the light down there?”
“No, I was wondering what you were looking at.” Dorian couldn't quite get his heart out of his throat.
“It looked like oil in water, it was leaking out of the bottom, then dissolving. I wonder what it is.” Kurt said, looking thoughtful.
“I don't know, but I want to dry off.” Dorian said, not really interested.
“Oh, come on, Dorian, where's your sense of adventure?” Kurt asked, disappointed.
“It's next to the hot meal Dad is gonna cook for me tonight, or likely in one of the books I'm going to steal from your room. My favorite one is titled, “Journal.”” Dorian smirked at his brother.
“Hey now, Mom says to keep a log of our daily lives, and I think it’s good to be able to put your thoughts down on paper.” Kurt paused a moment. “Wait, don't read my journal!” He splashed water at Dorian. Dorian laughed.
Kurt, looking resolved on the matter, said, “I'm gonna check it out, it'll just take a second. Then we can make our way back home. Promise.” Not checking with Dorian, he took a deep breath and dived down. Treading water, the quiet was unnerving. Time slowed again, this time his hair seemed to perk up on the back of his neck. The subtle sloshing of water under his hands was a muffled barrier to the deafness of the world around him. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw movement.
Looking up at the rise, silhouetted by the sunlight cascading down, was a four-legged animal. Letting his eyes adjust, his heart started beating hard. A lump rose in his throat, and he would have shouted in alarm if he wasn't so completely terrified. He had heard stories, but never understood. It was a mountain lion.
He heard a growl, then a roar. Not thinking, Dorian took a deep breath and dived after his brother. He swam downward, the adrenaline kicking in hard. Not thinking he made his way over to his brother, putting a hand on his shoulder. His brother turned to him, fear on his face. Kurt gestured to a loose stone, that did have some kind of green aura coming off it. Dorian shook his head, pointing upwards. Kurt shook his head back at Dorian and went back to tugging at the stone.
Frustrated, Dorian shoved his brother over. He gripped at that anger, holding it tight for a moment, and ripped the rock free as easily as any other child would pick a dandelion. A green light coagulated and leaked out spreading across the bottom of the pond. It wasn't fast but it was steady. They swam to the surface.
“Haha! I knew there was something behind there.” Kurt said pompously. “Shh! Kurt, quiet.” Dorian, gripped by fear, whispered with all the weight of his own pomposity. “I think, no, I know I saw a mountain lion.” Kurt shot him a glance, first alarmed, then mocking.
He started with a baby voice, “Aww, poor little Dorian all alone thinks he saw a terrifying man slaying apex predator. Come on Dor, I won’t fall for it.” Dorian, in utter disbelief at his brother, widened his eyes to express the severity of the situation.
“I'm serious Kurt, on our parents, on the gods, I'm not joking.” Dorian was having a hard time breathing at this point, he was about to start seriously panicking.
Kurt, realization dawning on him like a sunrise, took on a tone of immediate control. “Don't thrash about, we need to get to my clothes, and our staves. We need to make our way quietly there, no sudden movement. We go under, and cover distance, and surface quietly. Understand?” Dorian just nodded.
Dorian looked about before diving under. When he did so, so distracted by the terror and fear, he hadn't noticed the pool around them becoming brighter. Looking now, it was fully iridescent. As quiet as Dorian could, he asked “What the fuck did we do?”
Kurt looked down. Looked up, eyes wide. The swirling mass was all around them now. “Kurt, what do we do?” There was alarm in Dorian's voice, though it wasn't intended. Kurt, eyes tearing up, said “I- I don't know.” His lower lip was quivering, and Dorian could see that his brother was just as scared and petrified now as he was. A growl sounded in the distance. Dorian's chest was fluttering, his lungs constricting. They were going to die here, and it was his fault.
Then, the vines came. Dorian thought of them as vines, but they weren't vegetation. The goop was congealed together in a mass, small tentacles protruded outward, searching. One touched Kurt, and he stopped moving, frozen in fear. The tentacle moved past Kurt, disinterested. Then another slid along Dorian, then another, and another. They retracted, and as Dorian watched, horrified, the mass contracted. It looked like the poise of a snake about to strike. Dorian looked up, and having abandoned the pretense of quiet, shouted at his brother, “Go!”
They swam, by the gods, they swam with hell on their heels. For whatever reason, whether it was fear hampering his own movement, or that the fear had increased his brother's speed, either way didn't matter. Dorian was falling behind, Kurt looked back as he was close enough to shore that his feet could touch. His eyes went wide, and Dorian couldn't help himself. He looked back, and what he saw doubled down on his fear in a way that locked him up.
The mass of glowing light, congealed as it was, rose from the water, taller than the mound they jumped from. It was swirling, dancing, shimmering in a beautiful terror that words fail to express. Something primal stirred in Dorian, a knowledge or understanding that he was... completely fucked.
From the mass, a vine shot out, wrapping around Dorian's arm. He heard Kurt cursing, then wading towards him in the water. Kurt grabbed Dorian's other arm. He pulled but wasn't any match for whatever this thing was. “No, no, no, no! Fuck you! You can't have him!” Another vine lashed out, taking Dorian's leg. Kurt wasn't even cursing anymore, just shouting an unintelligible garbling of angry primitive noises. Another vine grasped Dorian. He gripped his brother harder and couldn't hide the fear that must have been written on his face. Kurt doubled up on his effort, straining himself. Kurt shouting, over and over.
Dorian, body pulled part way out of the water, calmed. He looked at his older brother. “It's okay brother, you've given me better than I had any right to. I think it's time to go.” Dorian heard the words leaving him, like he reached right down to the core of his soul and plucked those simple words out of all the loose concepts and confusing nonsense. He laid it there for his brother, then smiled. Dorian, torso now wrapped tight, fully in the clutches of this thing, ripped his arm free of his brother's grasp, and let the mass take him.
The shock on Kurt's face hurt Dorian in a way that he had never experienced. Betrayal? Betrayer? Maybe. He couldn't know, but he knew he wouldn't have to worry about it for long. He distantly heard Kurt wailing, splashing and thrashing, his screaming and gasping. It wouldn't help, Dorian knew, but the notion was endearing all the same. Mentally, Dorian tuned in to his brother. Words can't express hearing grief, disbelief, shock, hatred, shame, pain, fear, self-disappointment, and a torrent of other emotions wrapped into one, but it was there, and Dorian felt guilty that he wouldn't be there for his brother as those emotions evolved into grief. No matter.
The mass consumed Dorian. Having plucked him out of the water, it enveloped his entire body. The light was so bright that it blinded him to everything else. He tried to scream, but nothing came of it. Out of air, he thrashed. Lungs burning, with all his will, he tried to resist the natural impulse to breathe. He tried and failed. To his surprise, his lungs didn't fill with water, or goop, or whatever. In the second that he tried to breathe through the thing that would have his life, the mass stole the moment to invade Dorian's body.
An onslaught began, the victims being Dorian's mind, body and soul. He felt that he was being flayed alive, a torrent of pressure penetrating every orifice of his body. When that wasn't enough, it broke through the skin, invading like one army of ants invading another. There wasn't pain, only shock. Then everything that used to matter just faded away.
He was somebody else. He was something else. He was a bear, a lion, a tanner, a weaver. He was she, she had a wife, she had a husband, he had a wife and a husband, and children, he was dying, he was living, he was old, then young, he was flying and gliding and being boiled alive. A thousand thousand experiences happened chronologically, but all at once. Outside of time, he felt the inconceivably old age of the earth, the heartbreak and sorrow of all the death, the wonder and appreciation for all life.
He felt... he felt... cold. He felt pressure, being choked, drowning, then that pressure came down on his chest. Then again. Then, a stinging across his face. He heard wailing. A name. It wasn't an odd name, it was a good name.
It was his name. Dorian. I, Dorian.
He vomited and choked, eyes wrenched shut, only able to engage in what his body was telling him to do. Only able to breathe. Breathe. Just breathe. Gasping, retching, gasping, breath, breath, breath.
“Dorian?” an inquisitive voice asked.
He had the oddest abstract thought, that language was what framed all thought, by which limited the human psyche. He also thought that it was strange to have a family, strange to have a brother. A brother.
His brother, his brother's name was Kurt. He knew that. Didn't he? Was that boy still his brother? Yes, he was sure of it. His big brother Kurt, he's yelling… at me? Was he mad about the sugar and the salt again? That was a good one. Dorian smiled, then felt the pain of being slapped. He opened his eyes.
“Dorian?!” Kurt shouted in his face, shaking Dorian back and forth by the shoulders. “Dorian?! Dorian, Dorian, Dorian! You're alive!” Gripping his brother tight, Dorian choked again.
“Okay, okay,” Dorian managed to wheeze between breaths. “Just, just let me get centered.” Kurt responded by plopping down in exasperation. He started laughing, then sobbing, violently.
“Gods damn you, little brother.” Kurt said.
Dorian still couldn't figure his head from his ass, he just stared off into space, pacing his breath as best he could. He asked, “Got anything to snack on, I want to get sick, but I don't think there's much of anything in my gut but water and bile.” Kurt just laughed.
A few minutes passed by, until finally gathered, Kurt made his way to their packs. He dragged most of everything over and left to gather the last of their things. Just out of sight, Dorian took a deep breath, sighed, and began to worry about what happened. He thought he heard something then, no, not heard, he felt something. Hunger, and the excitement that comes from stalking prey. The moment just before the kill, then the feeding. Dorian's hair, despite being soaked through, stood on end. That's when he saw it.
In the darkness cast by the canopy above, glimmered a set of eyes. A deep and throaty growl followed, and he felt his spine seize, the fear taking over. Incapable of moving quickly, Dorian knew he was literally flat on his back and completely exposed. “Kurt?” Dorian said, questioning but alarm creeping in. The cat stalked closer, readying itself. He could feel it, it knew that he knew, and there was only one thing to do when the prey had spotted you, act quickly or go hungry. The two-hundred-pound cat charged.
The mountain lion bounded forward, once, twice, and just before the last bound came, a spear pierced the ground before Dorian. A shout came, all primal and undeniable. The sound of an animal against the wall, ready to die but fighting with everything it had before it would. In defiance, in rage, in love, and in duty, Kurt charged the giant cat.
Kurt struck out, his spear dancing out like a viper. He struck once, extending, retracted the spear with a deafness Dorian had never seen before, and striking again. Missing, but still following the momentum of the strike, Kurt whirled back to a defensive stance. Having pushed the cat back, Kurtis wedged himself between Dorian and the predator. He snarled at the beast and drew himself up to his full height. Taking a deep breath, Kurt roared at the beast, took another breath, steadied himself and roared again. The lion backed up, swiping at the air, and roared back. It wasn't going to back down, Dorian knew.
Coughing, Dorian said, “He sees me as an easy prey, he won’t back down.” As Dorian said this, the cat bounded forward, only to feign a strike. Unfortunately, Kurt bit, and when he missed the lion struck out. Kurt spun with the strike, falling as he did. The cat came for Dorian then. Taking his brother's lead, he snarled. He sat up as best he could, cocking his arm to deliver a backhanded hammer punch on the relentless animal. Something lurched from him, and the cat stalled. It growled again, and readied to pounce.
An explosion of heat rocked the world around him, so intense it knocked him on his back. He heard another shout, an “Ah-ah-ah.” Coinciding with those shouts came the deeply quiet thud of flesh being penetrated. Looking up, Kurt stood over the animal, half of its body charred, still twitching. Every time it twitched, Kurt shouted and struck again, until finally the mountain lion twitched no more.
When it finally died, Dorian felt it pass. It passed to the earth, to the water, and even a little into himself. The odd sensation was painful but not unpleasant. That's when Dorian saw the blood dripping from his hand. He followed it. “Kurt?”
Kurtis spun, adrenaline fueled, ready for war. He saw Dorian and gave a start. Looking down at his own hand, Dorian found something there. A blackness, shaped like a teardrop from the side, spread at the front by his fingers, the tip sharp and glinting across the little light that made its way to it.
“Dorian,” Kurt said in a questioning tone, “what the fuck is that?”
“I, I don't kno-” the blackness moved. Dorian felt it writhe under his hand. Scared and unsure, he flung it away from himself. It ripped a line open across his palm as he did. Blood dripped, and Kurt came to investigate. “Dorian, are you okay?”
Dorian nodded, “Yeah.” He took a second, still in shock over everything. “Holy shit Kurt. Holy divine shit, Kressor and Gwendos' burly bat shit, Kurt. That was... awesome!” Dorian didn't know what else to say, he was so astonished by his brother. Kurt came to help him up, “It's nothing Dor, just some things ya pick up with a trade. Let’s get you up.”
Taking the help, Dorian stood, using his brother for balance. “What was that, Dorian? I didn't know you had a weapon, you know they're illegal right? You could get banished for that.” Dorian straightened himself and made his way to a nearby tree to lean against.
“I don't have a weapon.” He paused, “I was afraid, and then it was just there.”
“Well, whatever it was, it saved your life. You're the luckiest little bastard I've ever met.” Kurt muttered the last bit, when he started to gawk at something. Following his eye, he saw that Kurt was eyeing the thing that ripped a gash into Dorian's hand. To their utter horror, the goddamn thing was moving.
It gathered together, making a lumpy ball. Writhing, spines shot out of it, then it started keening. It was like the sharp noise a baby mammal would make. Then, it started rolling... at Dorian.
“Nope,” Dorian muttered as he tried to run off. It took him an entire step to remember, he had gotten his ass handed to him, and simply didn't have the reserves to make a respectable escape. Kurt tried to catch the thing, but it just swerved in an unnatural fashion, and... hopped? It landed on Dorian's leg, spines reaching out, gripping, and rolling its way up him. The noise he made was somewhere between a feminine scream and a childish whine. He hated it.
The little ball of evil crawled its way up Dorian, to his shoulder, then down his arm. At this point, Dorian was frozen. He couldn't stop it if he wanted to.
The black found the gash in his hand, and dived in. Wiggling on its way, it slowly disappeared, taking the gash with it.
Dorian almost fainted, not because it was ghastly, well, it was ghastly, but because the process hurt. The blackness at the corners of his vision was a kindly reminder that his body had be beaten, thrashed, abused, and ill-nourished. The day had wreaked havoc on his body, and the price of it was just starting to show. Despite how beaten he felt, he knew that nothing would get him out of what was next.
“Kurt.” Dorian said, pointedly. “I would like to go home now.”