Quidditch League - Round 11 - Wigtown Wanderers - CAPTAIN: Barbarian - Write about a character who's known as a warrior
Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry: Mythology: Task 6 - Prompt: Write about someone undertaking a quest.
Thanks to Dash, Ari and Gen for betaing :)
I'm bad behaviour (but I do it in the best way)
A/N: A few D&D references, but you won't need knowledge of D&D to understand the fic. This is an AU.
Warning for a bit of violence, nothing too detailed though.
Sirius puts all of his might into swinging his warhammer. He was angry before, hating the undead creatures overtaking the city, but that anger was nothing compared to the rage currently tearing through him.
This fight is personal now, because he's just watched an Inferi tear into Regulus with its claws. That's all he sees, because his vision is swamped in red. Red blood, pouring from Regulus' chest as Regulus stumbles back. He doesn't fight the red rage that clouds his vision.
The warhammer quickly connects with the fiend's head. The shattering of bones feeds Sirius' desire for vengeance, but he's not done. Even as the creature is thrown away from him by the impact, Sirius is ready for more.
"Sirius," Regulus gasps, breaking through the fog. Sirius comes to his senses long enough to hand over his last healing potion, giving Regulus a stern look when he tries to refuse it. Sirius knows he won't need it. Nothing can hurt him, nothing can stop him.
"Get up high and use your bow," Sirius demands, knowing that Regulus is safer on the rooftops. It's Sirius' job to be in the thick of things. Regulus is too squishy to be a part of this.
Sirius turns towards his friends. Peter is controlling the earth and dragging the fiends into the ground, and James is almost invisible as he dances around, daggers piercing the grey, dead flesh.
Sirius advances, wanting to join in the fray, and the creatures see him and start towards him. As he lifts his warhammer once more, the red fog descending upon him, he hears Regulus cry out behind him, and he turns.
That's when he feels them swarm him, and it doesn't take long for the red to fade to black.
It's a quiet morning for Remus Lupin. He's been to town and seen a patient, and doesn't expect much else to happen. That's why he finds himself going to the nearby forest to collect healing supplies.
He likes healing, he likes helping others, and the overflow of sick that attend the temple get sent his way as he's the only other healer. But it's boring. As much as he enjoys healing, he wants to go out and see the world outside this town.
He's collecting bark from an old tree when a light shimmers, stretching out from the centre of the tree. Remus stumbles back, realising that the tree is being used as some sort of portal for travel. A couple of seconds later, a group of men stumble out.
They're armed and covered in blood, and Remus quickly realises that not all the blood is theirs. Two men hit the ground and Remus can see one is already unconscious.
Immediately the other two men grab the unconscious man and pull him up from the ground. "Shit, we need to… who are you?" Their eyes fall on Remus, and one of them pulls a dagger.
Remus frowns, annoyed. They're the ones who came into this forest and disrupted him.
"A cleric who is waiting for you to be done with the tree so I can get back to collecting what I need," he mutters, folding his arms. "Do you mind?"
"Oh. Can't be too careful." The man puts his dagger away and glances around. "Town?"
"Do you need me to do anything?" Remus asks, starting forward.
He sees the cloaked man's fingers hover over a dagger once more, though this time the man doesn't remove it. "No, you're good. We need the temple."
Remus nods to the path. "Half a mile, and take the left path into town. It's on the east side of the river."
"Thanks." They all rush off, except the blond who pushes a gold piece into Remus' hand.
"Sorry, they're always on edge. We get attacked a lot." He offers Remus a smile and rushes off after the others.
Remus looks towards the tree again and debates with himself if it's worth collecting more bark. He's not sure how much of the magic is lingering on it and after a minute of consideration, he decides not to risk it. He'll come back tomorrow.
By the time he returns home, he sees the same group of men rushing towards his house, and he sighs deeply. The temple must have turned them away, not that this surprises him. It looks like he's helping after all.
"So, can I help you now?" he asks, reaching the door first.
"Yes please, our friend is gravely wounded. We've managed to stabilize him, but…" the man with the daggers looks at him pleadingly.
"The temple turned you away."
"We were told that you're able to help," the man insists desperately.
Remus hesitates. "Why did they turn you away?"
"They…" he trails off.
It's the blond that speaks next. "I'm Peter," he says. "This is James and Regulus, and that's Sirius Black."
"Oh," Remus whispers, finally understanding. He's heard tales of these men. Though they mostly do good deeds, they put fear into the hearts of others. People speak their names quietly, as though scared that saying it loudly will summon them. He starts to shake his head, but Regulus approaches.
"Whatever it'll cost," he says. "He's my brother, please help us. He might die." He pulls out a large bag of coins and presses it against Remus' chest.
Remus looks at the man. He's covered in blood, and dark curls are stuck to his sweat-soaked skin. His skin is pallid and grey. From what Remus can tell, this man is suffering from two, maybe three ailments on top of being almost dead. Maybe more.
"I'll be safe if I let you in?" he checks, because he can't let someone die.
"No one will hurt you," James assures him.
"Get him inside."
When Sirius wakes up, everything feels wrong. He feels like his body is on fire, and he roars in agony. He tries to get out of the bed, but hands push him back suddenly and he hears a soft, soothing voice.
He's too panicked to listen, however, and lashes out, trying to get the arms away. He manages to stumble to his feet when those hands withdraw, and Sirius sways, his legs threatening to give way.
His head is spinning, and he feels like death.
His gaze lands on the other occupant of the room—a tall man who is clutching his arm and glaring at Sirius.
"Where am I?" he demands loudly. "Who—or what—are you? An Incubus, here to seduce me?" he smiles, baring his teeth. "I'll resist whatever magic you try to entice me with, no matter how beautiful you are."
The man stops glaring and stares at Sirius like he's insane—a look Sirius is familiar with—and starts laughing. "I'm a healer, you fopdoodle. Get back in bed so I can do my job." The laugh fades quickly, and soon the man looks all serious again.
Sirius stares at him. He's never been called anything of the sort before, but he feels like hell and it makes sense that the others would be over-dramatic and bring him to a healer when he just needs a quick healing potion and a day or two to sleep it all off.
He listens. It's not because this man has beautifully sexy amber eyes, it's because the man is clutching his arm and somewhere in his mind, Sirius realises that he caused that, and he feels really bad about it. He only hurts bad people and monsters.
"I'm Remus," the man adds. "Your friends brought you here. I agreed to see you because they assured me of my safety." The last comment is very pointed, as Remus rubs his arm. "Though I'm starting to regret my choice."
Sirius takes a moment to look him over, his gaze lingering on the scars on the man's face and his kissable lips.
Sirius gets it. They've been turned away from temples before because of who they are, and they rely on the kindness of strangers. He sits down, his head spinning. "I don't feel so good," he whispers. He glances up. "For what it's worth, I'm sorry."
As the words leave his lips, a wave of something takes over and his vision goes black for a moment. He clenches his hands around the soft material underneath him and grits his teeth at the pain. Remus rushes forward again, a hand resting against Sirius' chest.
Warmth spreads from Remus' touch and flows through Sirius' body, lasting only seconds. It slowly fades, and some of the pain goes with it. Sirius knows that he's using strong healing magic. That this magic should've healed Sirius a lot more. Something else is happening.
"What's wrong with me?" he asks.
Remus sighs. "I'm just trying to stabilize you first," he says softly. "I have to consult my books and prepare my magic, but I want to have you sleep for three days whilst I heal you. It'll be quicker if you're asleep."
"Do what you gotta do," Sirius mutters. "Thank you." He notices the redness of Remus' arm and feels guilty again. "I really am sorry."
"Lay down and relax. You'll feel better when you wake up," Remus replies.
Remus throws a simple healing spell at his arm once Sirius falls asleep.
For a moment, he could see the man that people feared. The crazed man, lashing out, angry, ready to hurt others—but then Remus was surprised.
He looks at the sleeping man. Sirius is looking a little less grey. There's a slight pink to his cheeks now. He looks harmless. Quite handsome, actually.
Remus considers Sirius' words as he settles with a book to try and make sense of the lingering magic radiating from Sirius' body, and he smiles as he thinks about the handsome man calling him beautiful.
Even if Sirius was only doing it because he's clearly very ill.
"Just one little adventure," Sirius complains. He's been awake for two days now and he's climbing the walls with boredom.
"No. You're recovering," Remus says, eyes on the tome he's been reading for the last hour. He keeps saying that Sirius isn't quite healthy, and that there is something else wrong. It's such an old curse that Remus has to research to find out more about it, and Sirius doesn't have time for this.
"You let the others go on adventures," Sirius accuses.
"The others didn't turn up at my house, hours from death."
Sirius pouts. "What do you do for fun?"
"I read," Remus mutters. He sighs softly. "There isn't really that much to do in town, truth be told. There's the inn and sometimes there is music, but I avoid it there."
"Why? Sounds fun."
"Oh. Ah. Well, the daughter of the owner…"
"You bedded her and things got awkward?" Sirius asks, chuckling, though he's feeling a little jealous of this unknown woman.
"No. Actually, she intends to get me into… uh, bed," Remus admits, his cheeks reddening.
Sirius is intrigued. He must know more.
"Remus…" he says, stretching the name out in a way that annoys Remus to no end. "Why don't you want to get into bed with the tavern wench?" He intends to make Remus blush or stutter, or try and read in his attempts to avoid it, but Remus surprises him again. He meets Sirius' gaze and arches an eyebrow.
"I admire the male figure much more," he murmurs, winking at Sirius, before returning to his book.
Sirius grins. When he first woke up, Remus was nervous, and Sirius has worked hard to make things friendly because he doesn't want Remus to fear him. Now they've reached the point where they're flirting.
Sirius is going to count that as a flirtation, and he's starting to know Remus a little better. He'd assumed he was a loner at first, but now has the impression that Remus isn't that by choice, but rather, people avoid him.
Sirius knows what it's like to feel alone and isolated.
"The boys said that they met you in the forest, collecting supplies," he says instead. "Maybe we can do that? I'm sure the fresh air and walking will be good."
Remus hesitates. "I want to help you," he says, though he's already closing the book. "But it seems like you're determined to distract me."
"I'll even hold the basket, if you ask nicely," Sirius adds, watching Remus' lips quirk up into a smile. He feels better than ever before.
He's simultaneously dreading and looking forward to the day when he's well enough to leave. Because while it's dull, he likes this slice of domesticity. At least he has Remus.
Remus tells Sirius about the blood curse that has been slowly destroying him for over ten years. He resists dragging it out a little longer. He enjoys Sirius' company, but doesn't want to trick Sirius into staying.
"I lived at home ten years ago," Sirius murmurs. Remus doesn't pry.
"What will happen?" Sirius asks, and Remus bites his lip as beautiful grey eyes find his. He ignores the butterflies in his stomach.
"Now that I know what I'm dealing with, I can prepare the right spells for tomorrow," Remus tells him. "You'll be ready to go by the end of the week."
Sirius grins. "Beautiful," he says. "I can't wait."
Sirius feels stronger than ever as he swings his warhammer once more. He's confident now that whatever curses his parents placed on him without his knowing are gone.
He feels faster, stronger, better. He could do this alone if he really wanted, though he hates the idea of being alone. He feels guilty about leaving Remus alone.
The dragon swings its tail, before turning its head and breathing out a cascade of flames. Sirius quickly moves out of the way, spinning on his heel and slamming the warhammer down. The dragon roars. It isn't one of pain, however—it's something else, and it's chilling.
Out of the cave stalks a second dragon. A third dives down from the sky.
"Run!" Regulus roars, and the group retreats. The contract stated one dragon, and it's unheard of for three to work together. They are not prepared for three. Even Sirius, with his confidence, knows that one of the others could get very, very hurt.
Sirius sticks to the back of the group as they run. The others disappear into the portal in the tree that Peter makes, but Sirius feels a force pulling him back. He fights against it, but the spell ends. A few seconds later, the portal closes.
He turns just in time to see ice pelt the ground as it comes towards him, and he dives out of the way. The tree freezes and the dragon catches it with its tail as it flies past, breaking it in half. Sirius' eyes dart about wildly. The mountain is too steep to climb down. The portals through trees are their only way in or out.
He trusts that the others will come back for him somehow. If they can't, well, the people that matter the most to him are all safe, and that's what's important to him. Protecting his friends.
He's not as fast with the next dodge. The fire catches his arm, and he shouts in pain. In the back of his mind, he realises that he could visit Remus again under the ruse of needing this looked at.
No matter how strong he is, how fast, how quick his reflexes are, he's not fast enough to handle three dragons. It's only a matter of seconds before he takes another hit, and then a third.
He falls to the ground, before pushing himself to his feet. He just needs to buy more time.
But the flames dance over his skin and it hurts so badly, and he starts seeing black again.
Suddenly there are arms on him. A gasp of pain as the flames touch someone else, and magic surges through him as he feels them being transported off the cliff.
"You're so fucking reckless. S'a good thing I was there," he hears Remus mumble as they land somewhere.
"You came!" Sirius says, his vision blurry and unfocused. "Because you love me?"
"Of course I do," Remus states softly. "Just don't scare me like that again. I don't know what I'd do if…" Remus trails off, and Sirius grins.
"Love you too," he mutters, before grabbing Remus and crashing their lips together as he's wanted to do ever since the first time he laid eyes on the other man.
He pulls away and his legs give way. He hears the other Marauders shouting from a distance, and then darkness overtakes him. He doesn't fight it, because he knows Remus will keep him safe.
"The scars are cursed," Remus explains, as they recover at the camp-site. "My face and hip. I was bitten by a werewolf. That's why I became a Cleric - because I wanted to find a way to cure myself."
His hand rests on Sirius' cheek, and the pain from the burn subsides.
"You didn't answer the question," James points out. "Do you want to travel with us?"
"That was my answer," Remus tells him. "I'm a werewolf. I'd burden your group."
"I'd be dead if it wasn't for you. Twice now," Sirius says. "If you travel with us, we'll get enough gold together to find you that cure. You'd never be a burden to me, luv."
Remus hesitates. "Because I'm a good healer?"
"You're very talented, and it's good to have someone else able to help us, and keep my reckless brother alive," Regulus says. "It'd be nice to have someone else who is sensible in the group."
Remus hesitates. His gaze turns to Sirius. "Sirius. You have another reputation, and I'm not sure…"
Sirius knows what reputation Remus means. He shifts closer, reaching for Remus.
"Hearsay," he says softly. "I only have eyes for you. I promise you that."
Remus smiles. "If you're sure, I'll…"
"Join the Marauders," Sirius finishes hopefully, and Remus nods eagerly.
3000 words