MW: Hey, dudes! Here's the next chapter in DASR Revised! This chapter deals with the lives of Talon and Hunter following their escape plan and introduces a few new characters who affect these boys' lives greatly! Enjoy, and don't forget to rate and review.


4 - Depravity

Hunter didn't like fire.

He was afraid of it, in fact. He liked electricity-he wouldn't have attempted Divination otherwise-but fire scared him.

It scared him now. He was running through it, inches away from his older brother who continued to yell, "Push through, Hunter! C'mon, we're almost there!" Hunter couldn't actually see where he was running, having been blinded by the smoke moments earlier, but he could've sworn that at one point he'd run sideways and nearly thrown himself into the blaze.

His boots weren't even touching the wood on the deck floor. He was flying through the flames, through open space, and his speed increased with his fear. Before he knew it, he hit an object, and his fear overwhelmed him.

Without warning, he gave a shriek and threw his full force forward, his eyes squeezed shut, his mouth frozen in the form of a yell. The...thing he'd crushed himself against grunted before giving way. He heard it hit the ground and he was thrown into the air. He opened his eyes in time to see the entirety of the ocean careening towards his face. The world shook as he attempted to twist his body mid-fall, but his muscles and his tendons screamed at him, and pain arced through his back as he hit the water. He barely had time to let out an agonized yell before salt engulfed his lungs and he began to drown.

Hunter kicked and flailed wildly. The salt infiltrated his eyes, seeping into his tear glands and setting his eyes on fire. He squeezed them shut, his legs writhing, hands rising to assuage the pain in his eyes. He could've sworn he heard a voice command him to stand still, and he would've tried to escape, but a boot to the face changed his mind and forced him to succumb to unconsciousness.

Talon carried the unconscious form of Hunter away from tfhe blazing ship, giving it one last pitiable glance, before resuming his walk.

Where the hell is Raht?

"What the hell happened to the White Owls..?" Talon whispered aloud, staring out into the emptiness of the Wilds. He shook his head dismissively and hefted Hunter in his arms with a soft grunt. "C'mon, kid, let's get you to Ravenwood."

He started a brisk stride towards the forest, hustling through foliage and brushing stray branches as to keep his view fairly unobstructed. He had seen Ravenwood from the ship after Raht had concocted the plan to "escape", and had figured that the easiest way to get there was through the Wilds.

Talon sighed to himself. Guilt battered his shoulders. The thought of the White Owl Pirates drifted through his conscience, and he gritted his teeth, conflicted. The crew was almost like his family. He didn't love them, but he'd become so used to their presence that it was almost painful to leave. But in the end, he got what he'd wanted since the day he'd arrived. Solace. Freedom. He would be fine once he got to Ravenwood. He could stay there with Hunter, maybe even learn a little magic.

It was what he'd always wanted...right?

Maybe not. It didn't feel satisfying. He wasn't...he wasn't happy.

Talon gritted his teeth and pushed through the brush, pausing at regular intervals as loud shouts and yells carried to his ears. He stopped abruptly, Hunter stirring in his arms. His ears twitched, straining to hear the voices.

"-said it was this way-" Talon heard. He raised an eyebrow in confusion and shook Hunter.

"Get up," Talon murmured to his brother, dropping him into a rose bush below. Hunter yelped and leaped to his feet, grabbing at his back, but was silenced by a punch to the gut. The voices were calm now.

"See what you did?" Talon asked, his voice louder than it shouldn't been. He threw his hands up in exasperation.

Wait.

Hunter heard footsteps. He swore softly.

Without warning, Talon was grabbed by the arm and yanked from his place on the dirt. The guard yelled something incoherent and pulled Talon towards him, glaring angrily and shouting something else that Hunter was unable to understand. Talon spat out a retort in return and the guard's expression darkened. He was too overwhelmed with horror and confusion. He let out a yelp, and Hunter barely had time to duck under the cover of the rose bush as Talon was spun around and shoved to the ground. "Hunter..!" Talon managed to yell, before he took the butt of a spear to the head. He crumpled under the force of the blow.

"That's him, alright," a guard noted, staring at Talon's limp form.

Hunter's eyes widened, his view limited, trying to peek around the rosebush's thorns, but not wanting to risk it. So that's where Raht was. Damn.

The second guard shrugged. "That other kid-the short one-said he had black hair and red eyes. Said he would cut through the forest with another kid and then the two of them would sack Ravenwood."

The first guard whistled in awe. "Damn."

"Yeah."

"Let's take him before he gets up."

The second guard held up a hand. "Wait," he began. "Where's the other kid?"

Hunter ran.

He heard the footsteps of his pursuers, heard the pounding of his heart in his chest.

He didn't wait for the guards to register where he was, who he was or what he was doing, but he sprinted, pouring all of his strength into his legs, leaping over thorn-filled bushes and narrowly leaping out of the way of trees. He threw his arms in front of his face every now and then, protecting as much of himself as he could from branches and twigs that cut into his flesh as if it were butter.

Hunter swore his foot catching on a small stone, sending him sprawling. He felt as if some sort of lightning bolt sailed over his head, but he had no time to ponder the thought. He tumbled forwards, crashing into a tree trunk and losing his grip on consciousness. He struggled to reach for something; anything, willing himself to stay awake, convincing himself that this was all just a dream and Talon would be there to grab his hand and embrace him with all the love a brother could give.

He felt a warm hand grip his own before he decided he couldn't hold on anymore and removed his vice-like grip from the world.

James Duskstone gave a small grunt as he hefted the young, but heavy boy onto his shoulder and trudged through the brush. "Found him," he called, hearing footsteps accompanied by the sound of grating metal. He was greeted by two panting, red-faced guards. Who sighed in relief.

"Perfect, sir. As they say, you are the best." One of the two men exclaimed, grinning slightly. "We have the other, so this'll be great."

James chuckled, his face flushing. "I try, y'know.." He mumbled softly, following the guards back towards Ravenwood. "Where's the other kid?"

"He's right where we left him, sir. He hasn't woken up in a half hour."

James nodded to himself. "Let's hope he's still where you left him...what's he look like?" He inquired, suddenly curious. He brushed a few blond strands from his eyes, the violet irises mixing beautifully with his striking black pupils. James pushed branches and leaves from his path, making sure that the guards were in his view until they stopped suddenly.

One of the guards pointed at an indent in the brush below. "That," he murmured.

James gave a slightly approving nod. Black hair, dark chocolate skin, dry and cracked at the elbows, scratches along the arms...seemed like he'd been in a fight. Burn marks were scattered across his arms and legs and his already bland outfit was torn in multiple places, revealing more scars, scratches and wounds beneath. "Roll him over, Fallon." James called to the shorter of the two men.

Fallon, as he was called, pushed at Talon's body with his foot, grunting and cursing softly in annoyance before managing to place his metal-tipped boot into a spot on the young man's armpit, and lifting his foot, effectively rolling him over.

James now had a good look at the child's face, and he frowned slightly. "They don't look alike," he noted.

"What?" The second guard asked, slightly surprised.

"Well, this one...his skin is a dark brown, almost like chocolate, and his hair is a jet-black, right? And he almost looks...angry. And this other one here-" he hefted Hunter again with a grunt to draw attention to his captive. "-has brown hair and his skin looks a bit lighter."

"But...that short boy, the one who reported the crime...didn't he say they were in cohorts? And that they looked related?He said the lighter boy was just a little lighter, but not that his skin was like cream." Fallon inquired, adopting a confused expression.

James shrugged. "Maybe they were in cohorts...or maybe this one that I have-the one with the few wounds-betrayed the other in order to escape. That's why he ran. See, the one you two have-the darker skinned one-has wounds all over him, but this one here-the lighter one-only has about ten bruises and cuts total. He looks less injured."

Fallon put his hand to his chin in a thoughtful gesture. "I'm not sure. Everything you said seems so plausible, sir."

James sniffed and rubbed his nose. "It's getting late. I'll have Professor Balestrom see what he can do with this one. Make sure you detain the injured one. We can interrogate him when he comes to, and if he doesn't provide us with information, we'll have to keep him for attacking an unarmed child and destroying a civilian ship along with the civilians."

"Shouldn't we put them both in jail, sir?"

"No. It'd be better if we separate them. I have no idea what they can do together, and maybe if the lighter one-the one I have-believes he and his brother are safe, he won't start anything or go looking to free him."

"But why Professor Balestrom? Wouldn't Headmaster Ambrose be a better choice?" Fallon asked as he turned to leave.

James chuckled softly. "We can always shock him a bit if he doesn't tell us what we want. And besides, this kid looks younger. Like he doesn't know about the outside world. If we can keep him in a safe place, then we can mold him into something different. We can make him into something his "brother" didn't want him to be."

Fallon and his colleague nodded in understanding, lifting Talon up and carrying him down the former cobblestone path. They took the left fork, which would take them to Colossus Boulevard where they would be able to detain Talon in Briskbreeze Prison. James took the right fork, heading towards Ravenwood to consult his instructor on the present matter. It all seemed so confusing.

James was good at this. He was good at figuring out things. So why was this so difficult to figure out? None of it made sense. Just about an hour prior, he had met a young boy who claimed that two other boys about his age were wreaking havoc on a civilian ship and that he needed help. Even before that, one of the professors at Ravenwood had fallen seriously ill. What was this...controlled chaos? Was it an elaborate setup? Was it a game to the puppetmaster, the one pulling the strings and laughing with glee behind the scenes?


Talon's eyes snapped open when the water touched his face. He gave a help and scrambled away from the bucket near him, eyes wide with fear, chest heaving with innate exertion. The guard holding the bucket in front of him chuckled. "C'mon, kid, get up. It's time to eat."

Talon said nothing, his brain shaking uncontrollably with the effort to process all that had happened. He was carrying Hunter. Hunter jumped through the fire and then Talon followed him, but was forced to knock him unconscious when he began flail and drown. Hunter couldn't swim, either. Then, once they were out of the water, he carried Hunter to Ravenwood, but they stopped because of the approaching guards. They hid behind a rosebush and then-

His head seemed to rattle as if remembering the pain. The butt of the spear to the skull...it hurt more than it should've. Where was Hunter? "...Brother..?" He mumbled, his speech slightly slurred. His lips felt dry, even after the water had been spilled onto him. His tongue felt painful as he slid it over his teeth in slight thought, and he winced. His teeth hurt.

The guard scoffed. "Brother? You mean the other kid we brought in? He's safe, in Ravenwood with the Diviner, Duskstone."

"Ravenwood..." Talon murmured. Ravenwood would've kept them both safe from prying eyes and-if need be-Raht. But here he was now, in a dank room, the only open spaces in the room barred and locked so that he remained unable to escape. Not like he could, anyhow.

The guard was beginning to grow impatient. He unlocked the cell door and his gauntleted hand slid around Talon's bicep, and he hauled the young boy to his feet, shoving him forwards. "Time to eat," he stated fiercely, emphasis placed precisely on each word as to make the fact that Talon was a prisoner clearer.

Talon gave a sharp glare but remained silent and shuffled forwards, hands hung in front of his body, attached by a bracelet-like contraption. It hurt. His wrists felt cold...frozen, even. Had he shoved his wrists in the snow and left them there for hours, laughing even as the frigid, frozen water began to gnaw at his skin with the bite of a wyvern, laughing in a fit of sadistic pleasure-if snow was sentient-as the once rich chocolate skin gradually became a deep azure hue and shattered at the slightest touch? He shook his head to rid himself of metaphors and unanswered questions that lingered in his mind and stopped when the guard grabbed his shoulder. A finger drew his attention the the room before him-a cafeteria-like area that was filled with prisoners, all in tattered rags of their own, handcuffed but able to move their wrists enough to pull trays and eat food. The guard shoved him forwards. "Hurry up and eat. When you finish eating, get in line and you'll be back in your cell."

Talon stood, slightly dazed before he began to shamble aimlessly towards the line of people gathered in front of the serving area. A young girl spooned what smelled like food but looked more like maggots from large pots in front of her. She looked to be about Talon's age, and her long locks of white hair had been tied into a sloppy bun. Her eyes were a soft whitish-blue, and she glanced at him as he passed, their eyes meeting. He stared at her for seconds longer than he should have, until he was nudged forwards by a prisoner behind him.

He glared sharply at the man who had nudged him, but shuffled forwards anyways, grabbing a tray and holding it in front of him, thrusting it forward, pleading for food. Instead of food, the girl put a finger to her lips and gave him a soft smile. Talon remained confused, his face set in an expression of wonder and shock as the other prisoners shoved him down the line. He was pushed out of line and stumbled slightly, catching his balance before he plummeted to the floor. (Which wasn't all that clean.). He stared blankly at his empty tray and glanced at the door to the cafeteria longingly. The angry guard sprang to his mind, and Talon snarled under his breath and took a seat at an empty table, staring blankly at the tray in front of him. Thoughts began to race through his mind, an attempt to process what had happened in the past month.

Lucas was dead. He had killed him. Talon had killed a person with his own hands, and yet...he felt nothing. Not even emptiness. Nothing.

He and Hunter had fled their house and wandered until they came across a ship they figured they could loiter on and salvage some food. Instead, they were captured, and turned into pirates themselves. Or at least, that's what it felt like. Then, when they had made plans to escape, there was a sudden fire when Talon and Hunter were stuffing what they wanted to take with them into a bag, forcing them to forsake the items and run. They managed to escape the ship, although Hunter almost drowned, and would've made it safely to Ravenwood if the guards hadn't arrived. Talon and Hunter hid behind a bush, but the authorities had already been drawn to their location during Talon's attempt to lift Hunter from unconsciousness, and knocked Talon unconscious as Hunter fled. He knew that much.

He had woken in a cell, greeted by a faceful of frigid water and a stern glare from the guard who had poured the water into his eyes. Then he was led to the cafeteria and the girl hadn't served him food and instead given him a smile and a gesture that told him to be quiet.

"What the fuck..?" Talon began softly, lifting his cuffed hands to stare at them. Tears streamed down his face, which contorted to form an expression of anger mixed with fear. He exploded suddenly, throwing the tray onto the floor and slamming his clenched fists into the table repeatedly, curses and words of self-depreciation, hatred and raw rage spilling from his throat like vomit. He screamed, unaware of the tears running down his face or the attention that he had drawn. He was afraid, and he didn't hesitate to express himself. He was filled with sorrow, and he didn't hesitate to express himself.

He had been through so much in such a short time, and he barely even understood half of what was going on, no less. He had no idea how to adapt to his life in jail. He had no idea how to adapt to the voice in his head. He had no idea how to adapt to the loss of his brother. He was confused, and he didn't know how to express himself.

He didn't know anything anymore.

Talon fell to his knees, his head tilted towards the ceiling, his eyes bleak and aimless, tears hardening on his face. He let out an agonised howl before curling into a tight ball, sobbing uncontrollably. The chains on his handcuffs rattling, a dull note that seemed to have no tone whatsoever. He could feel the stares of the other inmates on his back, and he pushed his knees closer to his chest, intent on compressing his woes; intent on wallowing in sorrow until it vanished miraculously-which it most likely wouldn't-but Talon was in no state to not believe in miracles.

A hand brushed against his back, but he still did not uncurl. "Hi," the owner of the hand spoke, her voice sounding akin to the "middle C" on a keyboard. Talon remained curled in a ball, but he managed to choke out a response.

"You-food..." He coughed, swallowing and beginning the reattempt. "You...didn't give me...food," he mumbled finally.

"Maggots aren't healthy for growing boys like you," she answered, running her hand up and down his back in a comforting manner, a soft smile on her face.

"Why?" Talon inquired, uncurling slightly.

"Hm?"

"Why didn't you give me food?"

Her voice was shy, and she averted her eyes, staring at the ceiling. "I...planned to come sit and eat with you...but after that little outburst..let's just say that the warden doesn't take kindly to loud noises. At all." She answered, taking a seat next to him. "I'm Valkyrie, by the way. What's your name?"

Talon uncurled fully, and rolled over to stare at her. Well, now he felt strange, having just suffered a full-out breakdown in front of one of the cutest girls he'd ever seen-provided that he'd only ever spent time with his mother, Astra and her own mother-which destroyed all forms of "coolness". "I'm...Talon," he answered, his eyes finding the floor. "...Sorry." He concluded finally, glancing up at her sheepishly.

She smiled slightly, glancing at him shyly. "Hey, Talon..." She whispered, her voice nearly cracking. He stared at her, confused. She seemed...afraid. He raised an eyebrow, and she continued, albeit pausing continuously. "I wanted to eat with you-don't think I'm weird or anything-but I didn't get to because of your...little tantrum. Not-not to say that it wasn't bad..! But-I-erm-can...can I eat with you everyday? For as long as you're here?"

Talon blushed, the red visible on his dark skin. He hadn't felt this...this...craving in a long time. Ever since Astra, at least. He began to nod, and a smile slowly spread across her face. They were interrupted by the warden, however, as he burst through the cafeteria doors, his eyes a cold steel, his mouth contorted into a snarl.

"Back into your cells, the lot of you!" He yelled, his voice carrying for what seemed like miles. "All you scum don't get food for the next three days! It'll teach you bastards not to think of this place like your home. This is hell, and this is where you'll stay! Now get up and get back into those goddamn boxes!"

Talon glanced at Valkyrie, who waved and gave him a small smile. He rose to his feet and followed the other prisoners out of the door, shuffling towards the cafeteria entrance. The same guard that had escorted him to the cafeteria moved towards him, grabbing him by the arm and hauling him back towards his cell. A quick look around and Talon noticed that every prisoner was being hauled to their cells by guards who seemed to have had bad days overall. Potential bladder problems (spawned from guarding all day) and angry bosses didn't sound like a great combination.

He was shoved forwards into his cell, and he stumbled slightly, but caught himself, and gave a long sigh, pushing himself against the wall and sinking into a sitting position.

Wow. A girl had confessed to him. For the second time in his life, someone actually liked him. This feeling he felt towards Valkyrie...this...want...he hadn't felt it in a long time. Not since-

Not since Astra.

Talon gritted his teeth and slammed his fist against the wall, cringing slightly but fighting the pain. He loved Astra. But what Hunter had said just hours before they'd fled the White Owl pirate ship began to sink in. Maybe she was gone. Maybe she wasn't coming back.

Maybe it was for the best.

He sighed. Maybe it was for the best... Right. He could start anew. Forget about her. Forget what she had done to him-forget how she made him feel; what he did to find her...

Keys rattled in the distance. Talon seemed to snap from his daze-like state, standing erect in slight, momentary shock before he rushed towards his bars.

The guard neared his cell with another captive. Talon remembered seeing up to three prisoners in one cell, and glanced around, finally realising how spacious the cell was.

The captive looked to be about Talon's age, and a female. She wasn't skinny by any means, in fact, her hips were wide and her curves were accented by the armor she wore. Talon was unable to see her eyes, but through the dim light, he could tell that her hair was a dark red, maybe even black. She was mumbling something under her breath, and Talon backed away as the guard neared the cell and then opened it, shoving the girl inside, closing the door and locking it.

The guard gave Talon a wink. "She's all yours now, kid. Just watch for that armor."

It took Talon a moment to process what the guard had said. "What the fu-hey!" He yelled after the guard, who laughed jovially and rounded the corner.

Talon shook his head dismissively, and turned to the girl in the cell with him upon hearing her handcuff chains rattle and something hit the floor, the noise a dull, metallic sound. "Crazy. Isn't it-" he began, but stopped abruptly as she rubbed her wrists, the handcuffs on the ground. The metallic substance coating her body receding to reveal her creamy ivory skin.

She looked up after kicking the handcuffs aside, glancing at him. Her eyes were odd. One of them was a deep hazel, and Talon felt his brain explode as the image of her left eye was framed into his mind. Her right eye, on the contrary, was a vibrant blue, the pupil a highly unusual silver. Pieces of metal seemed to float in her eye. Talon was captivated, but then, he caught wind of what she was mumbling, and he leaned closer to hear her. She looked dazed, and her eyes burned holes in his chest into the wall that he was standing in front of. "-Talon," she mumbled softly. "Talon..."

His eyes widened in shock, and fear invaded his mind, a parasite that feasted on his sanity and took hold of his mind entirely, whispering to him. Then he realized that it wasn't fear, it was "Thalomir".

Do you feel it yet?

"Astra..?" Talon whispered.

Where would this road lead?