Chapter 8: Pink Scars, Hairline Fractures, and Relocations

At first, Mathias felt hot. Overwhelmingly so, as if someone had shoved him into an oven and left him to bake. He wavered in and out of consciousness, feeling as if his brain was surely melting into a puddle of fleshy goo. He had memories, of course, fragments of his surroundings that he'd seen through darkness and leaping flames: he remembered the smell of smoke and the sound of shouts, followed by glimpses of dark hair and silver armor, then the uncomfortable feeling of being carried by someone smaller than him. The heat disappeared with the soft breezes that blew around him, yet the pain persisted. Something was definitely not right.

Then he heard Lukas's voice, whispering to him in a long-dead language, as the pain began to subside into cool relief.

"Thank goodness," he heard Lukas say as hands softened by magic trailed along his burnt cheeks. "He breathes."

Mathias settled into that touch, the familiarity of that voice, and blacked out with a smile on his lips.

XxX

Dawn broke over Little Whirling, yet the reach of the sun's rays only illuminated the damage done to the town's harbor. Mathias's home, along with several others close to the shore, had burned to the ground. The damage barely extended beyond the port area, leaving the remainder of the town untouched, but it was the extent of the destruction that weighed down the hearts of the townspeople. A fog of grimness hung over the town, and Pretorus had sold out of his Purses of Infinity for the first time in years.

Lukas managed to obtain one of these purses before Pretorus closed his shop. It hung on his arm, swaying gently with each step as he trekked down to the waterfront with Leon. He intended to visit Mathias's home to salvage anything of use or value to the man before they left the town.

Leon, normally quite the conversationalist, trudged in tight-lipped silence alongside the Sorcerer. Surveying the damage, Lukas couldn't blame the young soldier; his fellow knights had lain waste to the shoreline, leaving blackened buildings in their wake.

They came upon the ruins of the Fisher residence to find that they weren't the only ones with the idea to gather Mathias's belongings. Knee-deep in burned rubble stood two figures who Lukas recognized as Tino Väinämöinen and Berwald Fisher, the Mayor's Son and the Carpenter respectively. They whirled around at the sound of Lukas's voice.

"You are Mathias's brother, are you not?" he called.

Berwald nodded solemnly. "Yes. Came t' check on my brother," he heaved a heavy sigh, "I fear th' worst."

"No need to fear," Lukas said reassuringly, "your brother is at my shop, recovering from his injuries. This good soldier rescued him." He motioned towards Leon.

Anger grew in Berwald's voice. "Is that an Olienn soldier?" he asked. Tino laid a gentle hand on his husband's arm.

"Thank you for saving my dear brother-in-law, Sorcerer Norge and Olienn soldier," he said, relief softening his voice, "when we saw the fires, we feared the worst."

Leon growled. "You were right to fear the worst," he replied, motioning to the destruction around him. "Queen Yao and King Ivan care more for their pride than their people."

Tino's hand slid from Berwald's arm to nestle itself in the larger man's palm. He beckoned Lukas and Leon closer. "Please do keep this in secret," he whispered, "but we plan to leave as soon as possible."

Lukas reached out and took Tino's free hand. "Come with us," he said, resolution hardening his voice, "I have been preparing for our departure since the first bombing."

In that moment, with their hands linked, Tino's heart softened. The icy sorcerer, with his chilling glares and mysterious spells, had just offered him and his new husband an escape. Seeking refuge was dangerous as it was, and having two people in his party did nothing to mitigate that danger. Tino squeezed the Sorcerer's hand, tears threatening to spill down his cheeks.

"Thank you, Sorcerer. You can't comprehend how much that means to us," he whimpered.

The Sorcerer's lips turned up in the barest fraction of a smile. "Please," he said, "call me Lukas."

Tidying up Mathias's affairs was easier with the assistance of Tino and Berwald. They were able to salvage important documents, several books, a small safe of money, and several personal items that had managed to survive the flames. All of it went into Lukas's Purse of Infinity, which remained at a comfortable weight due to Pretorus's magic.

After clearing out the house, Lukas handed Berwald the purse containing Mathias's belongings.

"Put your things in here too," he said, "and meet us at my shop before tonight. I expect you wish to see Mathias."

Berwald's eyes grew wide. "A'course we do," he replied.

"I made preparations to relocate my shop, but the spell I will be using must be cast at midnight. Any earlier or later and it will not work."

Tino and Berwald nodded. "We will see you tonight, then," said Tino, taking the purse from Lukas. They bid a brief farewell, and Lukas watched as they left, running down the streets hand-in-hand.

Lukas tapped Leon on the shoulder. "We should get going as well."

XxX

For the first time in what seemed like a very long while, Mathias could move. It started with a twitch in his fingers, which spread to his arms, until, suddenly, he bolted upright, screaming like a madman.

Where was he? What had happened? What was this stinging sensation that seemed to cover at least half his body?

One of his questions was answered when Emil ran into the room. "Mathias," he said, "it's just me, Emil. You're at Norge's shop."

Mathias took a deep breath, finally being able to take in his surroundings. "Oh," he breathed. He looked down at his body, covered in blotches of fresh, pink skin. "What happened to me?"

"You were caught in the fires down by the shore. Leon and Lukas saved you." Emil motioned for Mathias to lie down again. "You're not fully healed yet. Lukas's magic can only work so fast. You need to rest."

"Where's Lukas?" asked Mathias. "Oh my goodness, where's my brother? He must be worried sick about me!"

Emil stopped him before Mathias's worries could spiral out of control. "Lukas and Leon went down to your house to find anything to salvage." Footsteps sounded outside. "It seems he's back," said Emil.

The door swung open and in walked Lukas and Leon. "How was it?" asked Emil, "did you get Mathias's things?"

"We picked up whatever we could salvage," answered Lukas. He then turned to Mathias, and his eyes widened. He rushed over to the cursed man's side. "Thank goodness you're awake," he said in relief, fingertips reaching up to graze the pink scars across Mathias's face and neck. His magic had worked better than expected. Mathias had healed fully within a night, the only evidence of his injuries being the pink scars scattered across his body. Though they would never fully disappear, they would fade over time. But that didn't matter, Mathias was whole and safe in front of him; the smoothness of his skin under Lukas's fingertips was tangible proof of that.

Mathias leaned in so that his forehead rested on Lukas's. "Thank ya," he said softly, "Emil told me what ya did."

At that moment, something fractured in Lukas. He could hear the sound echo in his mind: a sharp crack, like a stone hitting a windowpane or a vase being dropped on the floor. Mathias's forehead was so warm. His smile was pure. The little bits of laughter that escaped between his teeth tikkled Lukas's ears, making him want to burst into a million shining pieces just so he could infinitely reflect the light that Mathias seemed to exude. He wanted to fall into Mathias's arms and kiss that silly, pink face of his over and over and feel the cool granite of his hands on his back. He wanted to do so many things with the man whose lips were less than a centimeter away from his, but there was something stopping him. Something cold. Something hard. Something sharp and icy and impregnable.

He pulled away, feeling as though he'd just swallowed stones. "I'm just glad you're alive," he said tersely. Changing the subject, he added, "We don't have much time to rejoice. There is much preparation to be done. We leave Little Whirling tonight."

Mathias's face twisted in confusion. "Leaving?" he asked, "Lukas, what are you talking about?"

"The town has fallen under attack by the Olienns," he explained, "Emil's lover is a traitor to Queen Yao. Your house, along with many others along the shore, has been burned to the ground. Outside of the town, the skies are darkened by the smog of war. Little Whirling is slowly emptying itself of people, Mathias. The Huizingas have fled to Nocht, in the Republic of Efizel, just last night. I think we should do the same."

Mathias nodded. "You have a point," he said somberly, "but how are we to move? What about my brother and his new husband? They are the only family I have. I can't just leave them behind!"

For once, Lukas smiled. "Worry not. I have been preparing to relocate ever since the bombing of Barrell. As for Tino and Berwald, they should be joining us by tonight at the latest."

Happiness lit up Mathias's eyes, and Lukas's heart fluttered. "Thank goodness!" he exclaimed, "Then let's prepare. I want to get away from Acacia and that twisted King Ivan."

"I'm coming with you," Leon interjected. Lukas couldn't ignore the steel in the soldier's dark eyes. "This war is idiotic and pointless, just a game played between two royals, and we are but pawns." He turned to Emil, clasping the apprentice's hands between his own. "I can't imagine a world without you. Please, let me come with you."

Lukas nodded. "Then that makes six: Berwald, Tino, Emil, Leon, Mathias, and myself. Before Tino and Berwald arrive, we should secure the shop. I need everyone to secure every fragile or small item in the house; this type of magic can make things rather shaky."

The rest of the day was spent securing Lukas's belongings. The spell had to be performed at the stroke of midnight, Lukas had said, so there wasn't much time to finish preparations. Berwald and Tino arrived in the evening to a store mostly covered in tarp and string.

Mathias fell into his brother's arms. "Berwald!" he cried, hugging his brother so tightly that the younger turned slightly blue in the face. Berwald's arms went up to wrap themselves around Mathias's back.

"I was so worried," he choked out, "I'm so glad yer okay…"

Mathias laughed. "I knew ya liked me after all, baby brother," he teased.

His jibe earned him a punch in the arm from his brother. "O'course, ya dumb log," Berwald sniffled, "dunno what I'd do without ya."

They make quite the striking pair, Lukas noted in amusement as he tied down the last of his equipment. The clock had just struck eleven; the sun had long since fallen, yet there was still more work to be done. He called out to his apprentice, who arrived at his side in the blink of an eye.

"Emil, help me find the moving powders," he asked. The two set to scurrying around the room, digging up packet after packet of mysterious substance before settling on three packets of colored powder: cadmium red, cobalt blue, and imperial yellow. With Emil's help, Lukas sprinkled the blue powder in the shape of a large, five-pointed star. Tino, Berwald, Mathias, and Leon were instructed to wait for nearly an hour on the stairs near the door, giving Lukas and Emil room to work.

Finally, at five minutes to midnight, the two magicians were done. "Everyone, pick a point to stand on," Lukas instructed. He and Emil continued sprinkling powder, creating symbols and runes in red and yellow on the floor around them. Once they were done, Emil took his place at the last remaining point while Lukas positioned himself in the center of the star, his fist full of a mixture of the red, yellow, and blue powders.

"Everyone, I need you to chant this incantation after me," commanded Lukas, "make sure to repeat it the right way, or you might not be here when the dust settles." He began to chant, and his spell was repeated perfectly by everyone else. The moment the last syllable had left their mouths, Lukas cast his hand down, throwing the powder on the floor. The room began to spin, powder flying everywhere, and Mathias had to struggle to keep his balance. Flashes of light invaded his peripheral vision and he wondered for a brief second if the move was going to work. After what seemed like an eternity, Lukas's shop slowed to a stop, as if the rapid revolution had never happened. He looked around. Everything was still in its place, from the furniture to the ashes in the fireplace. What had just happened?

Lukas marched over to the window and threw the shutters open. Rather than the familiar sights of Little Whirling's town square, the town of Nocht lay beneath them.

It was disorienting, to say the least.

"We've moved," said Lukas.

AN: welp I'm at school
Things aren't super busy yet, which gives me a little time to write. I'm a SuFin whore so I find any excuse I can to write these two, and I'm glad they'll have a larger role in the story as the Nordic 5 + Hong Kong group finally gets formed.
I've never really written HongIce mostly because I'm ambivalent to whoever Iceland gets shipped with (here he's getting shipped with Hong Kong just because), but I'm happy to take on the challenge. :)

Howl's Moving Castle was a large inspiration for this story. I want to watch the movie again.