Number 8 knew he was a deep sleeper.
Seven had told him she had to throw him off his mattress to wake him most days. Even then, he sometimes lay on the ground and slept through it. So Number 8 knew he could sleep through a lot of things...
He wanted to believe an avalanche wasn't one of them.
"There was an avalanche?"
Number 8 asked Ultear, who nodded from her spot by the snowed entrance of the cave, her eyes glancing out of the small hole she dug while conversing with Number 8, "Big avalanche. Buried half the forest..."
Ultear looked at the clouds from her small window to the sky, closing the hole with her magic before turning back to Number 8, "It doesn't look like we'll have to worry about another one, though. The blizzard will let up in a day or two..."
Ultear glanced at Vera, still sleeping near the fire, before shaking her head, "We'll be able to make it to town in a week..."
Then, this little alliance will be over...
Ultear didn't like how heavy that thought was, so she shoved it aside. Turning to Number 8, who was watching with a contemplative look, "Will the people there be able to help us?"
Ultear shrugged in response, "I don't know. If the old lady is still there, she should be able to house and feed us at least..."
That's what she did last time, anyway...
Ultear hummed softly at the memory, shaking her head as she walked over to Vera's sleeping form and unceremoniously kicked his slumped body to wake him, "Come on, Seventeen..."
Ultear paused, the words feeling foreign on her tongue as she tried to get used to his new name, "Vera, wake up. Stop being lazy."
Ultear poked Vera's sleeping form with her toe a few more times, raising an eyebrow as she turned to Number 8, who tilted his head innocently, "Is he dead?"
"You have no right to say that after what you slept through..." Ultear replied unimpressed, finding it amusing that Number 8 flushed in embarrassment before crossing his arms and looking away sheepishly. His voice was low as he mumbled, "There's no way I slept through an avalanche... there's no way..."
Maybe she's messing with me again... yeah... that has to be it...
Number 8 kept up his self-denial, eventually pulling out of his thoughts as he heard a low groan from Vera's prone form. Number 8 flicked his eyes to the sleeping mage before he heard something that made him stiffen in surprise.
"ACHOO!"
Vera sneezed, his low groans turning into sniffles as he moved away from the stunned Ultear and closer to the fire. His eyes still closed as he fell back asleep without glancing at the ice mage who woke him up...
The ice mage was now totally and utterly confused.
"Is he sick?"
Ultear asked, glancing at Number 8, who shrugged in response, "I don't know... should we try waking him-"
'Cough'
An abrupt, congested cough cut off Number 8's words, his eyes flicking over to Vera, who seemed to be in a dazed state that fluctuated between consciousness and unconscious. His lidded eyes barely open, groggily squinting at the fire like it was offending him by being too bright. Vera's voice was dry and hoarse as he muttered, "Stupid... Ultear..."
Vera's eyes squeezed shut as he scooted closer to the fire; the other two watched him slowly stop shivering as he curled up into his white winter coat as if snuggling into a blanket.
"Why'd you... have to go... fight an avalanche..."
Vera's murmurs trailed off as he drifted to sleep once again, the silence stretching before Number 8 asked in perfect clarity, "You fought an avalanche?"
"If I say yes, will you admit you slept through one?" Ultear retorted instantly, watching as Number 8 opened his mouth to respond before closing it, shaking his head as he looked back at Vera's prone form, "Anyways..."
Number 8 frowned as he noticed the slight shivers going through Vera's body, his words honest with a thinly veiled worry, "How do we fix him?"
I don't know what to do if someone gets sick...
It wasn't like Number 8 had any experience with something like that; he had never gotten sick. Seven hadn't either because for as shitty as the lab was, the scientists always ensured the Numbers were in a healthy condition...
The data was much more reliable that way.
"Should we get him... water or something?"
Number 8 asked, glancing at Ultear, who raised an eyebrow, "How are we going to do that? I don't want to carry him to the stream..."
The stream was what they called the little underground river that was in one of the caverns. It was how they got most of their water since it was fresh, and they didn't have to worry about boiling it. The problem was it was a thirty-minute dive into the cave system to get there, and even if Ultear felt slightly guilty for Vera's sickness, she didn't want to carry him the entire way there.
I will if I have to... but that also means taking him away from the fire...
Ultear wasn't a doctor, but she didn't think that was a good idea. She might not have experience with Vera's supposed illness because she never got cold, but she had been prone to magical diseases when she was young...
Her mother had ensured she was close to the fire back then, wrapped in a thin blanket and nestled into the couch. She had a hot bowl of chicken soup in her hand as she waited for the fever from the imbalance of her magic container and her body to pass. Her mother would sit by her side and watch over her, quietly whispering assurances as she drifted off to sleep.
She didn't appreciate those memories anymore but could learn from them.
That meant she had to keep Vera by the fire...
While also somehow getting him warm water.
I'll have to create an ice bowl and carry it back-
'Scratch'
Ultear's thoughts came to a deadlock as she heard a scratching sound from the nearby cavern wall; her gaze flicked toward it to see Vera's shadow carving a message into the snow.
Use me
Ultear tilted her head; her eyes narrowed as she watched the shadow finish its message and patiently await instructions. Its gaze never left the boy shivering silently by the fire...
Help him
Its gaze never wavered for a moment.
What a strange magic...
Ultear had never seen anything like it, even with her mother's magic. While she could get lost in the beauty and mystery of her mother's magic, so much so that she could mistake these ice roses for real ones, Sho was different...
Sho was more...
Alive?
It was hard to describe because, logically, she knew that magic wasn't allowed to create life. It was the first thing her mother had taught her when she first learned maker magic...
Maker magic, dynamic-maker magic specifically, couldn't create life. It simply imitated it, and the mages that could imitate life to the highest degree could make things that genuinely felt alive but never were...
Sho, on the other hand...
Sho was as close to living magic as she could ever conceive of, and going off of Number 8's surprised murmur, he agreed, "Did Sho... summon himself?"
Number 8's words sent a shiver down Ultear's spine, her eyes flicking to Vera's unconscious form before instinctively shaking her head, "No... that isn't possible. Vera must have summoned it instinctively."
That was the only conclusion Ultear could come up with, and even with the skeptical look Number 8 shot her, she decided to stick with it. All the while turning from Vera and his unusual shadow before walking to the snowed-in entrance.
This much should do...
Ultear created an ice bowl, deciding to take advantage of the shadow's offer as she filled it with snow. Walking back to the wall and holding it out for Sho to take, "Hold this above the fire so it boils; I'll keep the bowl from melting."
She nodded immediately, reaching a hand from the wall and grasping the bowl before sliding towards the fire. The bowl was held above the ground like a swimmer holding a ball above water. When Sho made it to the fire, he moved his torso out of the earth, his shadowed hands covering the bowl and sitting directly in the fire. The small crackles and hisses let them know the snow was melting while Ultear kept the ice bowl intact.
During that time, Number 8 focused on Vera, moving his threads to layer up the coat ever so slightly and using the bits of fur from the Vulcan to make the winter coat more padded, with a fur lining on the hood and edges of the sleeves.
That should be better...
Number 8 had meant to add to their winter clothes for a while now; he just needed the material to work with. The wolf fur was too thin and light, but the Vulcan pelt was heavy and thick; it made a perfect replacement.
I should make something to hold water in, too... it'll be a lot easier than Ultear making ice bowls all the time...
With that thought, Number 8 moved to the Vulcan corpse that they had left half piled in snow, taking bits of its hide and fashioning them into water skins. All the while, Ultear kept the ice bowl intact until all the snow had melted, and there was a warm bowl of water for Vera to drown his sorrows in.
This should do... unless he wants Vulcan soup.
Ultear glanced at the Vulcan corpse Number 8 was currently dissecting before shaking her head and taking the bowl from Sho's outstretched hand.
No... that'll make him more sick.
With that thought, Ultear crouched down near Vera, tapping him with her finger as she laid the steaming warm bowl of water near his face. Her eyes glanced at the water nervously because she didn't know how long the water would stay warm with her, keeping the ice from melting. Her voice took a slightly worried tint as she tried to coax Vera out of his slumber.
"Hey Vera, wake up. There's water..."
Ultear watched as Vera murmured something that sounded dangerously close to 'fuck off' and continued to stay asleep. Ultear's eyes twitched before she grabbed his cheek with a cold finger and pinched it. Her voice lost all sympathy as she practically threatened him to wake up or she'd make him regret it.
"Wake up and fix yourself, or you're eating the Vulcan brain for lunch."
Ultear wasn't above eating the brain of the Vulcan if it meant not starving, and she knew none of the others were either. They had done it for the wolf, mashing up the brain and eating the grim concoction like porridge. They would have done it with the eyes and genitals, too, if Number 8 hadn't found the Vulcan and saved them from that grim situation.
Now, though, Vera was being a pain, and she was okay with serving him what would have been a last-resort meal early. A threat she knew he heard even in his dazed state because he flinched, forcing his eyes open like they weighed a hundred pounds before grabbing the bowl and gulping the water.
The steam hit his face like a blessing and made him sigh in relief before he put the empty bowl down and lay back on the ground, falling asleep instantly, but this time without shivers wracking his thin frame.
"Good job..."
Ultear smiled slightly as she patted Vera on the cheek, tossing the ice bowl into the fire with a hiss before turning to Sho and watching as the shadow nodded before writing a new message on the wall.
Thank you
Ultear felt her lips quirk at the sight, her voice appreciative even though she knew she was talking to magic, "You're welcome... thanks for helping me out the other day."
Ultear watched with slight amusement as Sho rubbed his neck sheepishly, giving what Ultear could only interpret as a shy nod. The shadow turned its head towards Vera and then back to Ultear before writing a last message on the wall.
'Scratch'
Ultear's eyes went wide at the message, unable to understand its reason and unable to ask Sho why he wrote it. The shadow had already returned to its rightful place beside Vera, unmoving in a way that made her think it had returned to its 'dormant' state, as Vera liked to call it. A form where it would sit and let Vera's magical power recover...
I don't understand...
Vera's magic...
What is Sho...
Ultear would never understand it, and as she gazed at the message, carving it into her memory before wiping it off the icy cavern with her magic...
Your magic is beautiful
She realized she didn't want to.
Vera woke up with a pounding headache and remnants of a murky dream, the slight chills and fatigue he had felt when he passed out earlier finally fading.
What happened...
Vera's head was foggy and his eyes get like lead, but after a few seconds of recuperating it starts to fade. Sunk back down into the recesses of his mind like the pitch black dream he had, and settled quietly.
Oh yeah...
That was when his mind replayed the previous day and it clicked that he had gotten sick.
Ugh... that sucked...
Vera hadn't gotten sick at the lab; the doctor never allowed him to. Vera almost wanted to thank the dead bastard because being sick was shit.
I never want to go through that again...
Vera's body was sore, his eyes felt dry, and his mouth was parched. To make it worse, his head was pounding, and his memory still felt spotty.
How long was I out of it anyway...
It felt like he was forgetting something.
Why do I feel different-
"Oh? You awake..."
Number 8's mildly surprised voice stirred Vera out of his thoughts, the headache fading along with Vera's worries as he sat up. His head flicked towards Number 8, standing with new fur lining on his coat and a water skin on his waist made from the Vulcan hide.
"Here."
Number 8 said bluntly, tossing an extra water skin towards Vera, who caught it dazedly. The sleep blinked out of Vera's eyes as he opened the bottle and drank the crystal-clear water inside it.
Holy shit...
Vera didn't realize it when he woke up, but he was parched. The ice-cold water felt heavenly going down his dry throat, and Vera couldn't be bothered to try and save any. Vera gulped the entire thing greedily, drinking the water in its entirety before giving a satisfied sigh. He closed the water skin before glancing at Number 8 with a slight nod in thanks, "Thanks 8, I needed that..."
Number 8 nodded, walking towards the fire and sitting against the wall. Number 8 pointed at the ice bed where Ultear was sleeping, saying, "She wanted me to tell you that we're leaving tomorrow morning. The blizzard's over, and now that you aren't sick anymore, there's no reason to stay."
Vera let out an 'ah' in understanding, glancing at Ultear's sleeping figure before frowning, "How long was I asleep anyways? Ultear usually doesn't sleep until nightfall..."
Vera glanced at Number 8, who shrugged in response, "Two days. Any longer, and we would've had to carry you out of here..." Number 8's face sunk to one of exhaustion at that moment, "Thank you for not making us do that."
We already have to carry this Vulcan meat with us... Vera would've been overkill.
Number 8 shivered at the thought before he moved toward the Vulcan corpse, piling the thinly cut and frozen meat into the knapsacks he had made from Vulcan hide. They had three, so they all could carry one through the mountains.
Meanwhile, Vera took inventory of his body, glad to see that he had slept off most of the sickness and was in good condition.
I'm glad that's over... hey Sho, do you think anything happened while I was out?
Vera glanced at his shadow, which simmered to life, only to give an unreadable shrug. The shadow's noncommittal response was all it gave before returning to its dormant state.
Well, that could have been more helpful...
Vera sighed at the thought, shaking his head before he turned to Number 8. His eyes quirked as he saw Number 8 looking at him with a contemplative expression. One that seemed almost hesitant before Number 8 asked with a barely held curiosity, "Did Sho tell you about earlier?"
Number 8 watched as Vera took in his words, a look of confusion crossing Vera's face as he responded incredulously, "What?"
What is Number 8 talking about...
Vera could only look at Number 8 in utter confusion, a lost look plastered on his face as he waited for Number 8 to elaborate. A look that Number 8 understood immediately because his eyes widened imperceptibly, "Uh... I meant when you were sick... Sho helped us boil water for you... I thought he was telling you about it."
I guess that wasn't the case...
Number 8 could tell by how Vera's eyes widened to the size of saucers, his head flicking immediately to his shadow with a narrowed expression. The shadow shimmered to life to give another shrug and fade back to dormancy, leaving Vera with a scowl that made Number 8 think he didn't get the explanation he was hoping for...
"What do you mean 'I'll tell you when you're older..."
Never mind, he didn't get an explanation, period.
Vera's magic is odd...
Number 8 had thought it before, but it was strange. Number 8 may not be privy to many things, but he knew that magic wasn't supposed to behave like Sho. He was especially sure magic wasn't supposed to be able to defy orders.
Wonder if seven would have known... maybe-
"When's the last time you slept 8?"
Vera's question tore Number 8 out of his thoughts, Number 8 stiffening as he glanced away from Vera's critical gaze, "A day maybe... Ultear and I had to split the shifts differently since you were sleeping. I still have an hour before I wake up Ultear for hers..."
It would have been better if we knew Sho could have stayed up for us...
Number 8 sighed defeatedly at the thought, unaware that Vera's eyes went wide at the information, his brain taking a second to process everything before he narrowed his eyes. Vera's voice was stern as he pointed to the spot by the fire where Number 8 usually slept, "Sleep. I'll take Ultear's watch and wake you two in the morning."
Vera watched as Number 8 opened his mouth to argue, not getting a single word out before Vera countered every argument he was about to make, "You need sleep, and so does Ultear since she'll be the one guiding us out of the mountains. Besides, I've already slept enough..."
Two days... yeah, never getting sick again.
Vera firmed himself with that thought, his eyes unwavering as Number 8 slowly realized he wasn't going to be able to convince him otherwise. Number 8 eventually gave a tired sigh before he walked over to his spot to lay down for the night, "You're explaining everything to Ultear..."
Vera shrugged uncaringly in response, "Sure. Now go to sleep. Waking you up is going to be hard enough as it is. You know, with you sleeping through an avala-"
"Stop talking!"
Number 8 hissed out panickily, eliciting a laugh from Vera as he noted the red tint that stained Number 8's ears. Number 8 tried to scowl, but it came off as more of a pout before he rolled over so his back was to Vera and proceeded to pass out almost instantly.
I didn't sleep through an avalanche.
A few hours passed, and Number 8's soft snores were the only thing that filled the cave as Vera gathered his thoughts by the fire, his eyes trailing from Number 8 to Ultear as he fully processed that their alliance would soon end. Unless Vera's little stunt back in the forest ended up bearing fruit.
I can't believe I did that...
Vera wasn't usually one to do things so haphazardly, but at the time, he wasn't really thinking. He just didn't want to see Ultear throwing herself into training like that. She would get herself killed at the rate she was going.
Hey Sho... wake up; I need a thought partner right now.
Vera felt the familiar thrum of his magic churning to life, his shadow shimmering behind him as Sho appeared and waited for him to gather his whirling thoughts. The silence stretched until Vera could put words to his rampaging emotions.
What am I going to do...
Vera hadn't thought about it thoroughly back in the forest, but he had promised to change Ultear's worldview.
I wasn't planning on doing that...
Initially, he planned to let Ultear go on her crusade to Hades and hope they didn't cross paths again. It was his decision back in the lab, all the way until the avalanche two days ago...
Now, he had committed to trying to change her future just like he did with Number 8...
The issue was that Vera wasn't sure if that was possible.
It might not be enough... even if I tell her about the robes.
It wasn't like Gray had done it with just that knowledge alone; he had to fight Ultear to a standstill and get her in the ocean. Only then did she finally let go, and that wasn't including the effect that years of taking care of Merudy must have had on her ultimate decision.
I'm trying to change her at the point she's least likely to change...
Vera glanced at Ultear, broken and angry at this point, hell-bent on revenge without a second thought.
I wonder if it's possible...
Vera's eyes drifted searchingly to Sho, who gave a slow tilt before slithered over to the snowed-in entrance and drew a picture in the snow. A terrible sketch of a bear that looked like a cross between a bloated dog and a dying dragon. Vera knew what it meant, and it wasn't helping his predicament.
You think I didn't consider that, Sho... I thought of it the second I saw her, but that doesn't mean...
Vera grit his teeth, a wave of guilt hitting him as he looked away from Sho, who wiped away the drawing before returning to Vera's side. Sho gave a tap with its finger that Vera instinctively knew was his way of trying to comfort him, even when his mind kept circling the same stubborn thought.
It won't work... even if she believes me... even if she learns about the robes... it won't work.
Vera kept his gaze stubbornly away from Sho, unaware he was playing with the edges of his now fur-lined sleeves. A nervous habit that didn't go unnoticed by Sho, who lifted a shadowed hand out of the wall and rested it on Vera's. Vera stopped his fingers as he flicked his eyes to Sho again, his shadow conveying a simple yet clear message that instantly calmed Vera's nerves.
'I'll stand by you.'
It was enough to let Vera get a clear head, a deep breath leaving him as he ordered his thoughts and laid them out. The simplicity of it all made him feel a little lighter than before, without the sickness or the guilt weighing him down.
I'll settle everything in town...
At the town, Ultear herself had said that there was an old lady who could tell when someone was lying. After Vera told Ultear about what the robes did to her and her mother, and had the lady confirm it so he wouldn't have to mention how he knew that information, he would see how things played out. If she didn't believe him, that was all he could do, and if she did...
I don't need to rush...
He would explain the other worry he had been hiding from her...
I'll take it slow...
He would deal with the consequences after that.
What do you think, Sho?
Vera turned to his shadow, watching as Sho tilted his head before giving a drawn-out shake of its head. Vera frowned slightly at Sho's dismissal of his idea thought with a defensive undercurrent.
What else am I supposed to do, Sho? I've already painted myself into a corner... unless you want me to go back on my word and not tell her-
'Smack'
Vera bit back a yelp as Sho's shadowed hand smacked the top of his head, Vera rubbing his head before glaring at the wall with bitterness stained on his face.
You jerk! I wasn't being serious! I was asking!
Vera scowled as Sho shook his head unapologetically, his shadow giving him a slight tap on the head that was caring in nature. Vera softened under the gesture before he sighed and leaned back against the wall, Sho settling above his shoulder as he tapped his head softly. A constant reminder that he was there and that he would stay there...
No matter what happened to them.
"Thanks, Sho..."
Vera felt his lips quirk as Sho's finger tapped in a happier tone; Vera closed his eyes as he spoke with sarcasm, "Say since you can stay out when I'm not awake... you want to take the rest of my shift?"
Vera glanced back, a small smile on his face as he saw Sho give a huff of irritation, one that Vera knew meant he would do it, but he wasn't pleased. Something that Vera dutifully ignored since Sho had been the one hiding such a helpful ability.
Well, too bad... next time, don't hide something so-
'Pinch'
Ow! Ow! Ow! Ok! I'm sorry! It was a joke! A joke!
Vera struggled as Sho pinched his cheek, a breath of relief escaping him as Sho let go and returned to the wall. Vera rubbed his now bruised patch of skin as he glared back at his shadow, giving an irritated huff before relaxing onto the wall. His eyes slumbered to a close as he drifted off to sleep, trusting his shadow to watch over them while he rested...
Good night, Sho...
A trust that lulled him to sleep with the dying crackle of the campfire and the soft taps of Sho's fingers, spelling out a message in his mind that only he could know...
'Good night, Vera'
A message he wanted to believe was the reason for his peaceful dreams.