TW (trigger warnings) for this chapter: reference to torture and abuse, minor self-harm, panic attacks
Bosacius paced the hilltop, ignoring the concerned eyes of his fellow generals. They knew he couldn't stay still when he was worried, but they didn't know why he was worried, and he wasn't permitted to tell them.
It had almost a full day since they'd brought Alatus to the harbor. Morax had made him leave the child in the bed of a prison subspace, then sent him for Madame Ping. When his god had caught him pacing outside the entrance, he had been told to leave, that word would be sent once things were settled. So he'd watched from a distance as the healer left, then several hours later when Morax sprinted out of there to Madame Ping's, and then the two had rushed back. Morax standing, arms folded, at the entrance. Madame Ping coming out, and the boy walking between them to her subspace.
He had tried to go there, to find out what had happened, and Morax had stopped him at the entrance. Told him to wait. Then a few hours later he had stepped outside and told Bosacius to gather the other three generals, his brother and sisters, where none could hear.
That had been almost an hour ago.
Bosacius didn't know why he was so anxious, so invested in the child. Part of him acknowledged that his lord had been right to be cautious, but his soul rebelled at the notion. He could not bring himself to believe the boy was truly bloodthirsty. Not when his memory kept replaying those wide, shocked eyes over and over, the moments before Alatus collapsed. Not when he could still feel his blade sinking into the little whirlwind's side...he scrubbed the offending hands against his pant leg, trying to drown the sensation.
Soft footsteps in the grass, a familiar golden power approaching. Bosacius looked up to see Morax striding towards them, and frowned. The god's gait was not quite even. It couldn't quite be called a limp, but it was clear that he was still injured from the battle. The yaksha shook his head. One worry at a time. He already knew it was near impossible to get his lord to rest when he should. He'd leave that argument for Madame Ping, she was better at it.
"Good, you are all here."
"What's this about, Morax? We haven't heard about any approaching armies, no new threats since yesterday's battle..."
Trust Menogias to get straight to the point.
"I have taken in a new adeptus. A child. I would like for the four of you to help me with him."
Silence for a beat.
"Why us? We're warriors, not...caretakers. I'm not sure how much help we could be..."
Children were a bit of a sore point with Bonanus. She had been hurt too many times by them running away after seeing her large, clawed hands.
"The situation is...unique."
Morax sighed.
"This is not to go beyond you four - I would not tell you at all if the information were not necessary - "
Sharp eyes aimed at each of them in turn, except Bosacius. Probably because he already knew what was coming.
"- the child, who will be going by Xiao from now on, is the one previously known as Alatus."
Dead silence.
Then the explosion.
"What do you mean-"
"Are you insane?!"
"My lord, surely-"
"ENOUGH!"
Grumbles and silence.
"My word on this is final. The boy and I have a contract. It is not a permanent contract - only until he heals - but for the duration, he will be here, and he must be kept safe. I assure you, those actions of his you may have heard about - "
Another grumble, another pointed glare, this time from eyes glowing gold.
" - were committed under duress, and not of the boy's own will."
Morax sighed, and rubbed at his temple. Bosacius hadn't seen him look so tired in...awhile. He stepped forward. Unlike the others, he had no hesitation when it came to helping that little whirlwind.
"What do you need us to do?"
"Xiao has agreed, under contract, not to touch weapons, harm humans, or eat dreams. However, he has been forced to do these things for...a very long time, and Madame Ping has reminded me that long habits are hard to break. Someone to help him control himself should his instincts go astray may be of help, and the four of you and Madame Ping are the only ones I dare trust with his identity."
"In addition, Xiao is...severely traumatized. I will not go into the details, though some of it will be obvious once you see him. He is easily frightened, reacts strongly to physical contact, and his whole world has just been turned upside down. He will undoubtedly have panic attacks from time to time, and as he is already powerful and only likely to get more so as he recovers, I would like someone nearby at all times capable of containing him should his power threaten others or himself while he is in an emotional state."
That made a great deal of sense. Too much sense, really, for their blockhead of a leader - Morax was never very good at this sort of thing. Bosacius suspected he was directly quoting Madame Ping.
"Another aspect of Xiao's contract is that he is not permitted outside designated areas without an approved escort. I would like to tell him the four of you qualify. If any of you feel you cannot handle these...unusual...additional duties, please tell me now."
There was a long moment of silence before Bosacius realized they were all looking at him.
"Bosacius? This is why you've been worried all morning, isn't it? What do you think?"
...right. Of course they'd figure it out. He scrubbed a hand through his hair and looked back at Indarias.
"I was the one who carried him back, and I for one intend to help all I can. Each of you will need to make your own decision, but I think he's worth saving. I told our lord as much."
Morax nodded.
"Yes, you did. Repeatedly."
Bosacius flushed.
Menogias stepped forward and put his hand on Bosacius' shoulder.
"You've always had a talent for judging a person's character. If you're helping, I will too."
Indarias snorted softly.
"Hard to believe the Alatus we've heard so much about is just a child. I'm in."
"If Lord Morax requests it, who am I to refuse? Just don't blame me if he screams and hides behind the nearest tree when he sees my hands."
With Bonanus, that made for all of them. Bosacius sighed with relief. It was never fun when they were at odds with each other. He looked to Morax.
"When do we meet him properly?"
"Tomorrow. I believe he has had a trying day already. If you could all come by Madame Ping's around midmorning, that would be ideal."
The others made various noises of agreement, and then left, talking together as they walked back down the hill. Indarias glanced back, but nodded and kept going when Bosacius shook his head.
"My lord..."
He hesitated.
"Do you need something, Bosacius?"
"Alat- Xiao. How is he doing?"
The god's distracted gaze focused on him, and softened.
"Madame Ping says he's doing as well as can be expected, under the circumstances. I think it may be a long time before it can honestly be said that he is doing well."
Guilt stabbed through him, though he knew the wound from his blade was probably the least of the boy's problems.
"And his side?"
Morax sighed.
"Unfortunately, his body can't handle much of an influx of energy at the moment, and that is slowing the healing. It is at least not bleeding everywhere."
And then more, under the god's breath -
"When he's not trying to leap around everywhere, anyway..."
Bosacius blinked. '...what?!'
"Leaping around? He has that much energy, in the shape he's in?"
"Not...exactly. Nevermind."
The god began walking back down the hill, and Bosacius matched his pace for a few moments.
Damn it. Courage wasn't usually an issue.
But this wasn't a usual situation.
The yaksha loved kids, and he often volunteered to help out with the human ones in the village - town, really, these days, but 'long habits are hard to break' - down by the harbor. A heartbreaking number of them were orphans, given the war, and extra hands to watch them were always welcomed. Most of the orphans, and some few of the others, were traumatized to some level or other when they arrived. He'd learned a lot about how to deal with it from the human healers over the years, and was fairly certain he could use that knowledge to help the little whirlwind.
If his presence alone didn't make things worse. The last time Alatus - Xiao - had seen him, they had been opponents in deadly combat. His siblings had a neutral start, he did not, and he didn't want to taint the boy's meeting with the others. It would likely be better to introduce himself separately.
While all that was true, Bosacius had to admit to himself, at least, that it was an excuse.
He wanted to see for himself that the kid was...well, not fine, that wasn't likely possible at this point...but managing. Not terrified out of his wits. Not terrified of him. Because those eyes already haunted him, and he wanted to protect and teach that whirlwind as a big brother should, whether that made sense or not.
Maybe it was because they didn't have many adepti children here. Helping and protecting was all well and good, but he didn't dare get too attached, their lives were too short.
Regardless, he was scared, if he was honest. Not of the kid, but that the kid wouldn't be able to tolerate his presence. Or worse, that he'd screw the kid up somehow - some of these kids, all it took was the wrong mis-step to royally ruin their lives for a long time. Logically, he knew he was far less likely to make such a mistake than Morax of all people - oh, for the days when Guizhong was around to teach him why bluntness wasn't always the answer - but since when did emotions answer readily to logic?
Bosacius was jerked from his musings when he realized they'd stopped walking, and that Morax had been eyeing him for awhile. He coughed and tried to cover a sudden flush of embarrassment.
"I gather you had something else you wished to ask me."
'Courage, Bosacius.'
"Given my history with...Xiao, I thought it might be best if I introduced myself seperately from the others."
"And you want to do this now."
"If Madame Ping things he can handle it. If it's a total disaster I can leave and try later; but the odds of a disaster are lower if he's not being presented with an overwhelming number of powerful new individuals at once."
Morax snorted.
"Four is not an overwhelming number."
"For him, it probably is."
The god sighed and rubbed at his temples.
"I...admit...dealing with this sort of thing is not my strongest skill. You likely have more experience in this regard than I do. Very well. If Madame Ping approves, you have my permission."
Bosacius sighed with relief.
"Thank you, my lord."
-*-.-*-.-*-.-*-.-*-.-*-.-*-.-*-.-*-.-*-.-*-.-*-.-*-.-*-.-*-
Alatus - no, Xiao - waited behind the closed door, listening as Madame Ping's footsteps moved away. Lord Morax had left a little earlier, muttering something about a meeting as Madame Ping showed the boy around this place they called a 'sub-space'.
Well, tried to. Xiao had rarely been able to bring himself to raise his eyes from the floor with Lord Morax's heavy presence so close. He had worried he'd get in trouble for that, but while the god sometimes grumbled alarming, he never did anything, and Madame Ping had been so constant in her reassurances that he'd started to wonder if she'd mixed him up with someone else, someone who mattered. It was possible, in the clothes they'd insisted he change into - the young adeptus glanced down at himself in disbelief again. Instead of his usual rags, he wore a long sleeveless tunic that fell to the knees but split at the hip, and soft, loose pants beneath. These were definitely not the clothes of his station.
Nothing here made sense.
The rules were simple enough - mostly - but drastically incomplete. There was the 'contract', of course. And the rules for this 'subspace', which was his allowed area for the time being - no going through red doors or opening red cupboards, be respectful to those he saw here, and 'don't go too near the edges, they're unstable'. That last one he didn't understand in the slightest, and simply concluded he'd stay in the building. But nothing whatsoever about his duties.
He hadn't dared to ask. Maybe later, sometime when it was just him and Madame Ping...
At the end of the tour he'd been shown this door, dark teal like his own hair, and told that the room beyond - the room he now stood in - was his, and everything inside was for his use. That was the most confusing of all. Such as he did not own things. Such as he were owned by others. It was while Madame Ping was telling him of this room that Lord Morax had excused himself, and shortly after she had gently pushed him towards 'his' door - he'd been too startled to flinch - and told him to have fun exploring, and look for her if he needed anything.
Nothing here made sense.
But at least, here he was alone, for the moment, and he was pretty sure he could hear or sense anyone coming from here, and maybe he could have some time to figure out some of what had happened in the last few hours before more strangeness and gods and words that he didn't know were thrown at him. After all, even Master had given him time to recover from time to time - though generally only when he was chained up.
Xiao absently rubbed a still-raw wrist, and finally turned around to look at the room. His jaw tightened and he started to shake.
This couldn't be the right room. They hadn't opened the door, maybe Madame Ping mixed them up. This room was twice the size of the one in which he'd agreed to the 'contract', there was a bed and a table and a couple pieces of furniture he didn't know the words for. Small objects littered the surfaces in the room - some he knew what were, some he didn't. There was a carpet in the middle of the floor. There were no chains or restraints of any kind, no area that seemed set aside for punishment. This room looked...comfortable. Comfortable was for those who were high enough to choose their own way, who were honored and valued by the gods, who weren't useless and stained and broken...
Movement caught the corner of Xiao's eye and he whipped his head around. One one of the unidentified pieces of furniture, there was a mirror. He knew what mirrors were - sometimes Master made him watch himself be hurt. The motion was just his reflection. As he stepped closer, he saw that his hair had begun to escape its tight braid, and trembled. He glanced nervously at the comb in front of the mirror. Not his, not his, but if he cleaned it right away maybe they wouldn't notice...Master was always adamant that his hair be kept back tightly, clear of his face to prominently display -
- the gem.
Xiao's eyes snapped back to the mirror. The gem was gone. The awful, glittering, cold gem on his forehead that had been there as long as he could remember. All that remained was a faint scar. His shaking hands froze where they'd been frantically pulling his hair back, slowly reaching to verify that the mirror wasn't lying, somehow. He hesitated a moment just before touching the scar - touching the gem hurt, and a ghost of anticipated pain slithered along his nerves - but nothing happened.
It was gone.
It was really, truly gone.
The young adeptus stared blankly at his reflection for a long moment, unable to believe it. Slowly, he realized the familiarity of standing orders pulsing at his mind was...gone. That none of the orders he'd received since he'd woken had beat at anything but his ears. That he had not been compelled, that his body had not moved against his will, in the same amount of time. That the familiar pain had not shot along his nerves in the longest time he could remember.
And then, he realized that his new master had seemed to feel no need for further reinforcement of the rules of the...'contract'...beyond stating that breaking them would result in punishment.
Just how bad was this punishment?
Trembling became violent shaking.
Master had always punished disobedience harshly, but had still always seemed to expect it, be prepared for it, giving out little reminders whenever he'd hesitated for the slightest moment. Lord Morax did not seem to question obedience. What could be so bad it would ensure one never even thought of disobeying? The rules were simple. Short. Easy to obey - so far. But what if more were added? What of the ones he didn't fully understand?
He didn't remember moving to the corner, or falling to his knees. He didn't remember summoning his wings, or when he'd started shakily running fingers through feathers. Thoughts spun in circles, panic curling around him tightly and making his chest hurt and making it hard to breathe. Images of terrifying possible punishments flitted through his mind - limbs being burned off, being left frozen in a block of ice for days on end, being forced to eat nightmares until his body ripped itself apart - along with the knowledge that there was always, always something worse he couldn't imagine.
Slowly, bloody feathers began to litter the floor.
Slowly, Xiao managed to calm himself down.
It was simple, after all. Never, ever break a rule. Never, ever disobey Master Morax. Don't risk it. Don't hesitate. There was nothing he could do about rules he didn't know about yet, but he would learn them in time, and once he knew them, he would obey them. In the meantime, when in doubt, he could follow Master Moharus' rules unless they conflicted with the new ones. That might keep him safe.
A breath of wind teased Xiao's hair, laden with voices almost too faint to hear. Instinctively he moved to cover his ears, then paused.
Before, the snippets of sound around his name the wind brought had always been painful. It was either someone cursing him for something he'd done, or Master Moharus discussing plans for him. The first...hurt, and the second only meant wasting time and energy on dread. So it was better not to listen. But maybe, just maybe...if something he heard helped him make sense of this new place...he cautiously lowered his hands to listen.
"...going by Xiao from...previously known as Alatus."
That was...Master Morax's voice.
"...heard Alatus is gone!"
He didn't know that one. Probably someone he'd hurt.
"Xiao has agreed...addition, Xiao is severely...of Xiao's contract..."
Master Morax again.
"...believe the Alatus we've heard so..."
A woman's voice.
"Alat- Xiao. How is..."
A man's voice, deep but not as deep as Lord Morax's.
A long pause, but the breeze did not fade away.
"...with...Xiao, I thought..."
That same man's voice.
The breeze faded away this time, and Xiao considered what he'd heard. It was clear Master Morax had been talking about him with someone, possibly the other man. Why, he wasn't sure...but the really weird thing was that none of the voices had held anger, or disdain, or disgust, or any of the other emotions he usually heard when he was mentioned.
The young adeptus frowned. It was too strange. He couldn't make any sense of it, and he hadn't really learned anything useful. But...it hadn't hurt, either. Maybe he'd start listening more often, when the wind came.
His musings were interrupted by the sound of footsteps in the hall. Xiao jerked his head up, immediately hiding his wings away and sweeping the fallen feathers out of sight under the bed. He'd dispose of them properly later, if he had the chance. He felt air on his back and panicked as he realized that he'd ripped the tunic when he'd summoned wings...he scooted back, pressing his back tight to the wall, and prayed that no-one would notice. He knew it was useless, it would be obvious as soon as he bowed, but he had to do something...
...and the footsteps continued past his door. He remained tense for awhile, waiting, in case they came back. He'd just begun to relax when he heard the footsteps again, along with another, much heavier pair - he stretched out his senses and felt Madame Ping's presence and another, much more powerful than her but weaker by far than Master Morax.
The second presence was electro.
He started to shake again. Were they coming to punish him after all? He'd done so many things wrong by Master's standards in the last few hours, and nothing had happened. Were they storing it all up to be dealt with all at once? Was there a time of day for punishments?
The footsteps stopped at his door.
-*-.-*-.-*-.-*-.-*-.-*-.-*-.-*-.-*-.-*-.-*-.-*-.-*-.-*-.-*-
Bosacius ducked through the pass-through to Madame Ping's sub-space, a few steps behind Morax. He knew he wouldn't really hit his head, but the entrance always felt too small for his bulk. Glancing at Morax as he caught up, he was surprised to see that his lord looked hesitant, and even more surprised when he knocked on the door. Madame Ping was a very welcoming adeptus, and her home was open to all who needed her help, or just wanted to chat. Why was Morax, of all people, knocking?
Catching his curious gaze, Morax chuckled awkwardly.
"Madame Ping and I have...conflicted...a bit, with regards to the boy's treatment. It harms none to be polite."
Bosacius raised an eyebrow as he turned back to the door, lips twitching as he fought a smile. If Morax had interfered with how Madame Ping wanted to tend to a patient, 'conflicted a bit' was likely a significant understatement.
After a short wait, the door opened to reveal the black-haired adeptus, who barely glanced at Bosacius before narrowing her eyes at Morax.
"No."
"I was not - "
"No, Morax. I will not stop you from interacting with the boy tomorrow, but I need him calm at some point before nightfall, and your presence clearly terrifies him."
"I had no intention - "
"Damn it Morax, you would not let me treat him fully before the contract, and after you were done with him the poor boy would've leapt through a wall if I'd so much as tried to apply a salve. He needs a chance to relax! No!"
The narrowed eyes were now full-on glare. Morax stepped back, hands up in surrender. Bosacius discreetly rubbed at his mouth to hide a grin - his lord would not appreciate being laughed at right now.
"I assure you, Madame Ping, I did not come here with any intent to terrorize the boy. I was merely bringing Bosacius by, as he thought he might be able to help."
Madame Ping's gaze swung around and locked on him. He wiped away the remains of a smirk and shifted to stand a little more formally.
"As you know, I have some experience with traumatized children..."
"I remember. But were you not also one of the ones who injured him?"
"I...yes."
"Hmm. It could go either way..."
The adeptus paused in thought, still blocking the doorway.
"Very well. You have enough experience to know if you are doing more harm than good, if it becomes clear this is the case, leave and come get me immediately. As for you - "
Morax was pinned by her glare once more.
"If you come back here before tomorrow, except in the highly unlikely event I send for you, I will tell Indarias, Menogias, and Cloud Retainer that you need to be kept off that hip."
Morax's eyes widened, and Bosacius swore the god positively fled the sub-space. The adeptus chuckled. Lord Morax might rule these lands and the people, but in some things, no-one outranked their chief healer.
His smile faded as he turned back to Madame Ping.
"How is he? Lord Morax wouldn't say much."
"And he was right not to. Privacy is important. But if you are to be involved in his recovery..."
The healer sighed and leaned against the doorframe.
"I cannot be certain precisely how bad it is. I was not able to do a comprehensive reading - his adeptal energy is so sapped that his body can hardly handle a few seconds of healing, and I could not waste that little bit of tolerance for more than a quick glance to target the worst areas. But I can tell you that he has suffered long-term physical abuse, and quite likely outright torture. I have never seen an adeptus so emaciated - I don't even want to imagine how long it's been since he ate something. If you can get him to drink a glass of water, maybe a little broth, I will be very grateful. He doesn't move like he's injured, but he is covered in bruises, scars, and burns. I caught a glimpse of several broken bones, apparently healing, with that quick reading...handle him like glass, if you come in physical contact, won't you?"
Bosacius swallowed and nodded. This was...worse, even, than he had assumed.
"Not that he's likely to let you. I was barely able to get him to tolerate my touch for those few seconds of healing."
The healer sighed.
"On one thing Morax and I are agreed. Between how he chooses to address Morax, his answers to his questions, his injuries and reactions...we are fairly certain that he did not serve that...Moharus..."
Her mouth twisted with distaste and anger at the name.
"...in the traditional sense. We are fairly certain that he was a slave, in every sense of the word."
Bosacius froze. Slavery was not exactly uncommon with humans, though Morax did not tolerate it here. Darker gods often kept human slaves, and mortals seemed to do it to each other with disturbing frequency. But adepti, as a whole, were too powerful to be kept as such - mere chains and threats would not hold them for long, and it generally took far more energy and power to keep an adeptus captive, much less to force them to obey, than would be gotten out of them in work or battle.
"How?"
"We don't know. I might find a clue when I can do a proper reading - there was something odd about his nervous system - but if not, I suspect the only way we'll ever know is if he chooses to tell us. And why would he hand us the means to do the same?"
Bosacius turned and leaned his back against the wall next to the door, pinching the bridge of his nose and closing his eyes to process. He didn't know what he'd expected, but not this. He'd thought maybe the kid had been brainwashed by an abusive family member. Or drugged. There were a few ways one could force the hand of an adeptus, especially a young one, temporarily. He'd tried not to think how far back the reports of destruction had gone, knowing it would be a primary argument of others for the boy's willingness. This explained a great deal. It opened up more questions than it answered. And depending just how young the little whirlwind was enslaved, it meant that it would be much, much harder to help him than he'd assumed, and he'd never thought it would be an easy road.
There was no question he'd try.
But oh, his heart hurt already.
He opened his eyes and looked to Madame Ping, noting the measuring gaze in her eyes.
"Where is he?"
The healer searched his face a moment longer, than nodded.
"I have given him a room, for all I doubt he believes it's actually his. He's been in there for the past hour or so. If all goes well, I will join you after an hour or two and we can see about tending some of those injuries properly. If all doesn't go well..."
She sighed.
"We'll get to that if it happens. This way."
Bosacius followed Madame Ping down a hall to dark teal door, which she knocked on gently.
"Xiao?"
Silence.
"Xiao, child, I'm going to come in, alright? I have someone to introduce you to."
Madame Ping opened the door - slowly but fully, Bosacius noted in approval, so the boy would be less likely to feel trapped. But of course she'd know such a basic thing; she'd probably taught the human healers he'd learned from.
Scared golden eyes looked at them from the corner behind the bed for a moment, before the boy's head ducked down and all that was visible was a bit of dark hair.
"This is Bosacius, child. All he wants is to talk to you. Is that alright?"
No response.
"Would you like me to stay?"
No response. Madame Ping sighed.
"If you want me to come, for any reason, just call out, alright, Xiao? I won't be far."
The two adepti waited, and eventually the hair bobbed in what was probably a short nod.
The healer reached up to grip Bosacius' shoulder briefly, before nodding her head towards the kitchen to indicate where she'd be and leaving. The yaksha entered the room, moving slowly and quietly but not silently - he wasn't trying to hide where he was, and if he seemed to be, it might scare Xiao - to a spot on the far side of the room from the bed, and close to the far wall, where he wasn't between the boy and the exit. He sat on the floor slowly and carefully, and settled into a relaxed and nonthreatening posture before looking back up towards the other corner.
Golden eyes met his for a brief moment, and he thought he saw a flicker of recognition, before the child's head ducked down again. Tall though he was, seated this far away he couldn't even that bit of hair over the bed. That was fine. The first step was always about patience, especially with the more frightened children. It was like luring a wild bird or squirrel to eat seeds from one's hand. He knew his large form was scary at first, almost always. So he had to give his little whirlwind time to get used to his presence. More so, probably, since as an adepti Xiao could probably sense his power as well.
So he would sit, quietly and unthreateningly, until the little adeptus felt safe enough to make the first move.
...Bosacius wished he'd thought to bring something to juggle. That always seemed to ease the tension faster, and it gave him something to do.
It took less time than he expected for those eyes to pop back up over the bed again, though the adeptus didn't like the way their owner was clearly shaking.
"A-aren't you here to p-punish this one?"
The yaksha's heart stopped. Why would he think...the courage to ask directly...he struggled to keep his voice calm and soothingly low.
"No, little whirlwind. Why would you think that?"
Silence for a moment.
"M-mighty one is electro."
Mighty one. Bosacius kinda liked that, except that he suspected it had very different connotations to Xiao. He badly wanted to ask why the child associated electro with punishment, for all he knew he wouldn't like the answer, but this wasn't the time. It was far too early for lancing soul-wounds. Basic trust first.
"I wield electro, yes. But I don't use it to hurt others outside of battle."
A blink, and the head ducked down again. Bosacius waited patiently.
"I-is this one not to be punished, then?"
"Why would you be punished?"
A pause. Not unexpected. He wondered if Xiao would answer.
"Th-this one has been c-clumsy, and forced the god to action, and s-stupid, and hesitated to o-obey, and did not answer honorable one's questions, and slept, in front of the god, and - "
This litany was getting too painful to hear. Bosacius could hear in the young voice that if Xiao was not already crying, he was on the edge of it, and he saw no reason to drag this out further.
"None of that is worthy of punishment."
He could practically feel the disbelief coming from the other end of the room. He would have to be a bit firm, if he wanted a chance to nip this fear in the bud...it was unlikely he could stop it entirely, but if the young adeptus could stop being terrified of every little mis-step, it would go a long way in helping him to settle in.
"M-master Moharus would - "
"It doesn't matter what Moharus would do. He is dead, and frankly, was a terrible brute. Here, under Lord Morax, such things are not considered bad. Certainly not punishment worthy."
Well, a couple of those were a bit rude, but that distinction could be made another time.
The silence stretched.
"This one does not understand."
"Did you break your contract?"
"No!"
"Did you break Madame Ping's rules?"
"This one does not th-think so..."
"Then you don't deserve to be punished."
A pause, then the eyes appeared again, assessing. Probably trying to figure out if he was telling the truth.
"Why is the mighty one here, then?"
Bosacius smiled.
"I wanted to see how you were doing, little whirlwind. I wouldn't mind getting to know you, as well."
The confusion in those golden eyes. He had to work to maintain that slight smile; Xiao would undoubtedly interpret anything else poorly.
"This one does not understand."
"That's alright. I hope you will someday soon."
The boy looked away, but did not hunch back down. Progress.
"Would you like to hear a story?"
If he couldn't juggle...
"...this one does not know."
"Hmm. How about I start, and if you don't like it, let me know, okay? I promise I won't be mad. I tell lots of stories, and not everyone likes the same ones."
A short nod. Well, then.
"Once upon a time, there was a little whirlwind."
Eyes snapped back to him. Bosacius restrained a grin, keeping his expression steady. Inserting the audience always worked.
"The whirlwind loved to dance and play in the forest in the fall, throwing leaves high into the air and watching them drift slowly back down. It was fun in the winter, too, throwing snow all about."
"Once, the little whirlwind saw a woman slip and fall in the snow on the path through the woods. He felt bad, but he couldn't help her, could only watch as she slowly picked herself up and limped on down the path. After that, every winter, the little whirlwind swirled up the snow on the path, and guided it to fall under the trees instead. That way no-one would slip."
Bosacius carefully kept his gaze apparently distant, pointed vaguely in the direction of the window by the bed, as though his full attention was on the story he was telling. His heart soared as Xiao slowly climbed up to crouch on the bed instead of behind it, listening closely.
"He began to clear the leaves from the roadway in the fall as well. He couldn't take credit; none of the mortals even know he was alive, just thinking he was a bit of wind passing by. He didn't mind. With the path clear and safe, more people used it, and watching and listening to them kept spring and summer from being too boring."
He was on the edge of the bed now, leaning forward, lips slightly parted. It was hard to tell without looking at him properly, but he was pretty sure Xiao wasn't shaking at all anymore. Now, how best to connect the story to the boy's situation...with his limited knowledge, and without being too direct...
"One year, the whirlwind realized that fewer and fewer people were coming down the path through the woods, and that they all looked scared. One day a whole bunch of people came at once, all going the same way, moving fast and not stopping to pick up the things they dropped. After that no-one came at all, and the whirlwind became very sad."
The boy was on the floor on the near side of the bed now, slowly inching closer. Bosacius pretended not to notice.
"The little whirlwind thought that maybe if he brought the people the things they'd dropped, they might want to come back and spend time on his little path again. So he swirled as hard as he could, and though it was hard to keep all those heavy things in the air, and scary to leave the forest, he followed the path in the direction the people had fled."
"The world beyond the woods was strange, and the little whirlwind saw many things he had not encountered before. Eventually he came to a small town. There was smoke in the air and a number of buildings were on fire, but the little whirlwind had not seen a town before, and thought this was normal. Overjoyed to find people again, he rushed up and started dropping those heavy things he'd struggled to carry so far around them. But instead of being happy to have their things back, the people screamed and put their hands over their heads and ran every which way. Confused, the little whirlwind backed up, trying to stay out of their way, and caught on the edge of one of the fires."
Xiao was at the edge of arm's reach now, and looking at the floor. Of course, this part of the story was probably starting to hit home a bit, that was expected - but he hadn't thought a single story would be enough to draw the boy so close. He must have been so starved for companionship...Bosacius' heart hurt, and he struggled to keep it from his face and voice, keeping his tone light and gentle.
"The fire leapt up within the little whirlwind, consuming and strengthening him both at once. He felt himself grow and expand, no longer a little whirlwind, but rather a towering pillar of wind and fire and smoke. He pulled away, or tried to, fighting desperately to separate himself from the raging thing that had taken over. As he moved, though, everything around him caught fire, and by the time he stopped fighting in exhaustion, he realized that he had destroyed the town and killed the people in his panic. He wept with guilt and grief, but the fire didn't let him go."
Xiao had shifted out of immediate view now; Bosacius felt his presence against the wall to his side, only a few inches away. He wanted to see how the child was responding, but he couldn't turn to look without being obvious.
"The fire within him was hungry; it pulled him away from the town and the path into the plains, riding the spreading flame and growing stronger and taller with its power. The whirlwind was pulled along, with no choice any longer in what he did or where he went, and he sped along the grasslands ahead of a terrible grassfire. In no time at all another town came into view, larger than the last. In horror, the whirlwind cried out to the stars."
"'Please, don't let me do this! I don't want to hurt anyone! Destroy me if you must, but stop me before I reach that town, someone, anyone!'"
He could feel the young adeptus trembling next to him, practically up against his arms. He had guessed correctly how the boy felt about what he'd been made to do, then. He hoped the end of the story would help.
"The stars responded to the whirlwind's call quickly. Clouds swept the sky from horizon to horizon, and before the raging firestorm the whirlwind had become could reach the town, the downpour they unleashed put out all the fire. Without the power and fury to sustain him, the whirlwind shrunk down to half his original size, exhausted by the long fight and the pain tearing at his heart."
"Hearing the little whirlwind's sobs, the clouds leaned down, shifting to a comforting fog. 'Do not blame yourself, little one. You did not do this; the fire that controlled you did, and you fought hard to prevent it.' The little whirlwind straightened and looked about himself at the fog. 'But the fire could not have caused such destruction without my help! If only I had never left my forest...' The fog pressed closer, lending the whirlwind strength and trying to comfort him. 'One can never see the right decision so clearly as when it is past, but at that point one cannot change it. You began your journey out of a desire to help; that is no bad thing. Make amends for your mistakes, and learn from them, but do not let guilt for what you could not help bear you to the ground.'"
The trembling had stopped, and to Bosacius' surprise, Xiao actually leaned lightly against his arm.
"The little whirlwind sniffled and nodded. The fog lightened, happy to see him cheered. 'Would you like me to show you a place where you can be heard, so misunderstandings like this can't happen?' The little whirlwind agreed eagerly, and the clouds led him to an adepti village. The adepti, of course, not being mortal themselves, could easily hear the little whirlwind's voice, and were delighted to have such a being among them. They taught him how to suck up water from the river and become a waterspout to water crops and put out fires, and helped him learn to steady himself when carrying heavier things so he could put them down where he intended. They told him stories and jokes, laughed with him and befriended him. And they say the little whirlwind lives there still."
Bosacius fell silent, letting the story settle into his little whirlwind's mind. He was amused and heartened to realize Xiao was absently tracing his tattoos with one finger. After a long moment, the boy spoke.
"Could this one...hear another story?"
The yaksha smiled broadly, and his heart swelled.
"Of course. Once upon a time..."
-*-.-*-.-*-.-*-.-*-.-*-.-*-.-*-.-*-.-*-.-*-.-*-.-*-.-*-.-*-
Madame Ping made sure she had everything she needed in her basket, then headed down the hall with a smile on her face. She had no idea how Bosacius had done it, but when she'd stopped by earlier with water and broth, she had seen the little adeptus actually cuddled up to the yaksha's side. He'd sprung straight as soon as he'd seen her, of course, so she'd just left the glass and bowl on the table and nodded pleasantly to the two as she left. But now night was falling, and if she was to get a chance at treating the boy's wounds before he slept, it was now or never.
As she approached the still-open door to Xiao's room, she heard the soothing rumble of Bosacius' storytelling halt, and him asking the boy what was wrong. Xiao's response was too quiet for her ears, but when she reached the doorway she found two pairs of eyes staring in her direction, one in welcome and one in trepidation.
"I'm sorry to interrupt such fine storytelling, but it is getting late, and I need to tend to the little one's wounds."
"This one thought honorable one had already done so..."
It was wonderful to hear the boy more willing to speak up, and she smiled encouragingly at him as she responded.
"I was not able to tend to all your injuries at that time, and wounds in general need tending many times before they fully heal."
Xiao looked to Bosacius for confirmation, then back to her. It was such a relief to actually see his eyes.
"What is this one to do?"
The healer moved into the room, setting the basket on the table and moving the thankfully empty glass and unfortunately apparently untouched bowl of broth out of the way.
"Well, to start with, I think this will be more comfortable for us both if you were to move to the bed."
The boy nodded and stood, and the yaksha stood as well.
"I should probably get out of your way, Madame Ping. Thank you for allowing me to stay so long."
He got all of two steps before Xiao darted forward, seizing one of his left wrists in both hands briefly before snatching his hands away as if they were burned.
"Please...stay..."
Madame Ping had to look down and fiddle with the basket contents to hide her expression. The little one was clearly still afraid of her, but he had just as clearly formed a bond with Bosacius. That was something she had not hoped to see for a long time yet.
"It's fine with me if that's what you want."
"Then of course I'll stay, little whirlwind. Here, let's get you to the bed."
She waited until sounds indicated they were settled, then looked up with a bright smile to find them both seated on the bed, Bosacius far enough away to not get in her way but close enough to reach Xiao if he needed it. Xiao, unfortunately, had his head down again, and was staring at his knees as his hands gripped the blankets beneath him tightly. Madame Ping's smile faltered, and she struggled not to let it flee entirely.
"Alright, little one. Is there any particular place that hurts most?"
"This one is not in pain, honorable one."
Where had the boy gotten this 'honorable one' nonsense? And his response was patently untrue, though she supposed he could be so used to the pain he didn't notice it anymore.
And didn't that just break her heart.
She softened her tone further, careful to keep her words as gentle as possible.
"It's just Madame Ping, child. Shall we start with your arms, then?"
The child was still for a moment, then quietly lifted the nearer arm towards her. She smiled at him and gently took his hand, trying to ignore his flinch, inspecting the arm carefully. This was his left, so there was of course that deep cut on the shoulder - the quick healing from earlier looked to be holding for now, but she'd like to give it stitches along with the one on his side if Xiao let her. She should probably leave that for the end, given that he was more likely to react negatively to needles than bandages or salves. Probably. Besides that, there were a number of small nicks and cuts in his skin, and what looked like a couple burns and a great deal of bruising under the dirt and grime. At least two of the little cuts looked infected.
She would've liked to get him clean earlier, but it had been hard enough to get him to change out of those more-hole-than-fabric rags.
"Alright, child. I'll need to clean your arm first, and then I'll see about getting some salve on those burns, hmm? Can you hold your arm still for me?"
She saw his other hand creeping to latch on to one of the yaksha's, but Xiao nodded.
"Yes, Madame Ping."
The healer smiled softly and took one of the cloths from the basket, soaking it briefly in the bowl of warm water she'd also brought. Some of the dirt looked ground in; she wouldn't be able to get him all the way clean, but if she could just get the worst of it, it would reduce the risk of infection considerably. She couldn't help but notice that the boy started trembling the moment she touched his skin with the damp cloth, for all she kept the motions as gentle and rhythmic as she could. He flinched every time the cloth came in contact with a cut or burn, but those were the places that needed cleaning the most. She couldn't skip over them, so she kept up a soothing string of reassurances, not even remembering the words that fell out of her mouth.
At least the trembling didn't get worse. As she set the dirtied cloth aside, she sighed and reached for the numbing salve. It would really be better to put antiseptic on everything that had broken skin, but it would sting quite a bit. The little one was barely holding it together and they'd just started. She'd have to keep that to the already infected places, for now, and better to start with something that would improve how he felt. Putting on the special gloves she used with the salve in order to retain her own sense of touch, she began to gently rub the cream over first one burn, then the other.
Xiao flinched at first, then as it began to take effect she saw his eyes slowly widen and he relaxed a little. She smiled at him as she gently placed bandaging over the burns.
"That wasn't so bad, was it? Now, this next bit will sting a little, but I promise it won't last long."
Moments later, an antiseptic cream had quickly but thoroughly applied to both infected cuts, and she turned her attention to his hand and the two swollen fingers she had been trying hard not to worry about since she'd discovered them while cleaning off his arm. Perhaps now that he might trust her a little...unlike the more recent and partly-magically-healed wounds on his shoulder and side, she couldn't leave these. If they were broken as she suspected, letting them heal crooked would be a disaster.
"I'm afraid this is going to hurt, child. I have to straighten those fingers so they heal straight. I'll be as quick as I can, alright?"
She knelt down to meet his eyes, and waited for his frightened nod.
"I'm right here, little whirlwind. You can squeeze my hand as hard as you need to, I'm not going anywhere."
Xiao's eyes flickered to Bosacius and he nodded again, tensing his jaw and closing his eyes.
Madame Ping was true to her word. With the speed and accuracy of millenia of practice, she pulled the fingers straight and bound them, with splints, to their neighbors.
"There we go, all done with this side. Would you like me to do your other arm or one of your legs next, little one?"
She worked as quickly and gently as she could, shoving her increasing fury down hard as she went. The boy's rising fear and tension were obvious as his trembling slowly grew more pronounced and his flinches more violent, and she knew he would think she was angry at him, rather than for him. She didn't dare speed things with healing power, remembering that morning, nor did she dare use it to evaluate. His body was already under too much stress. His legs and other arm went much the same as the first, though he had three broken fingers on the right instead of two. She didn't know how he pushed through the pain to hold onto Bosacius like that.
They ran into a bit of a snag when she got to his torso. Madame Ping had to wait while Bosacius soothed Xiao out of near panic when she'd asked him to lift his shirt. She had no idea why - his old clothes had been so full of holes they hid nothing - but she wasn't going to do anything to push his emotional state over the edge, if she could help it. Once it was off, he cooperated easily enough as she dealt with the damage on his front and lower back, but the higher on his back she got the worse he shook, so she gave up for now well short of his shoulder blades.
She noted that the number of electrical burns far outnumbered the burns from fire and frostbite.
Finally, Madame Ping stepped back with a sigh, setting the rest of a roll of bandages back in her basket and taking out a small vial of light green liquid.
"Very good, my brave child. Very good. We're all done now. All you need to do is take this medicine, and then you can rest for the night."
It was a tincture meant to fight infection, mixed with a painkiller, both with a side effect of inducing sleep. The boy needed all the rest he could get, and she had no intention of letting fear keep him up all night.
Xiao obediently took the vial, shakes slowly subsiding as Bosacius gently rubbed his uninjured shoulder.
"Yes, Madame Ping. But this one does not require rest."
Madame Ping chose not to comment on that as the boy quickly downed the vial's contents and grimaced. The side effects hit him nearly immediately, and the exhausted child only managed to blink in confusion for a minute or two before he was out.
The healer quietly added the water glass and bowl of broth to her basket, careful not to spill, as Bosacius gently arranged Xiao in the bed and pulled the blankets over him. Then the two left the room, softly closing the door behind them.
"Thank you. I'm not sure how much he would've let me do, if you hadn't been there."
"I was hardly going to leave him after he pleaded like that."
"Still, you have worked miracles with the boy. Given this morning, I didn't expect him to let anyone that close for a very long time."
"I don't really understand it either. I'm good with kids, but...my best guess is he needed affection and comfort so badly it overwhelmed his fear as soon as I became non-scary enough."
Madame Ping snorted a bit at his word choice. 'Non-scary'.
"I'm glad he drank the water, but the broth?"
The yaksha sighed.
"The same as you saw at the end, there. He kept insisting he didn't require food. That bastard must've really messed with his head, along with everything else."
Madame Ping slammed the basket down on the counter as they reached the kitchen.
"That bastard is lucky he's already dead. The condition that boy is in..."
"How bad is it? I was too focused on keeping him calm to pay much attention."
"I was only able to treat surface damage, and not all of that. I can't do much powered healing until his adeptal energy recovers more. But even that is bad enough."
She sighed and turned around to lean back against the counter, arms crossed.
"It's much as I told you earlier, with the addition of five - five - broken fingers. I can only imagine how much pain he's been in, that he uses them without hesitation. Hardly an inch of him isn't bruised or burned, and he has small cuts everywhere."
She couldn't hold the tears back anymore. She always tended to cry when she was angry, and she hated it. And what had been done to this child hurt.
"How could that - how could anyone - do that to a child?"
She covered her mouth as a strangled sob escaped, and looked away. A moment later, four strong arms enfolded her.
"I don't know."
By the sound of the soft whisper, Bosacius was crying too.
A/N: At this point I will point you at another story I work on, that's being posted by its other authors - Cradled in Golden Wings
CiGW is based on the universe I built around this story, and having read this far in here, you should have enough background to catch most of the references so far there~
Have fun, and I hope you both enjoy that fic, and continue to enjoy this one!