Death and Howls Part Twenty-Two: The Shadows and Light of Purple

Wistox:

Staring numbly at the weird purple door in front of me, my hand began to tremble. My past was coming back to haunt me. Torg approached me cautiously, his jet black blouse and matching black pants seeming out of place to me. Playing with his earring, his curvy blade hung off of his belt in an obvious manner.

“Do we want to confront that or do we leave it to Dar?” He asked politely, my tail swinging around with pure fear. “You are my son after all.” Hearing him say that caused me to purr, my hands fussing with a nearly identical outfit. Dragging him towards the door, his hand opened the door for me. Crossing over into a field of swaying purple flowers, the door slammed shut behind us. Staring numbly into the starry lilac tinted sky, the harsh memories of his abuse had me shrinking back. Placing me on his shoulders, ruby water swirled to life around him. Gasping in wonder, a bit of anxiety left my bones. 

“With me around Wisty, you have nothing to fear. I can heal you if you get hurt. If you need a hug, I will be there.” He promised me in a fatherly tone, his hands clasped mine for a second. “Count on me to help you with your magic.” Shaping it into a bird, it fluttered into the sky. Resting my chin on his head, something felt so right about this moment. Humming with every step deeper into my source of trauma, silent tears stained my cheeks. A large monster darted through the violet trees, my village not being too far away. Picking up on my shifting mood, his arms swung me onto his left hip. 

“I lost a lot myself.” He admitted honestly, his thumb wiping away my tears. “Believe it or not, behaving didn’t used to be my thing. Dar helped me out of it by kicking my ass. What a guy. Let’s work through this together and have a spot of fun.” Clinging to my neck, nothing about him spoke of a bad past. Lowering me behind a rock, his blade was at the ready. A fire lizard tore through the tall grass, his ruby scales glowing bright. Opening his mouth awfully wide, a wave of water shut down the impending flames. Spinning his blade over his hand, a wall of water blocked me from seeing the final blow. Coming down in a wave, his body blocked me from getting wet. Scooping me up, his words faded in and out with every step closer to the village. Picking up on another energy, Mortimus stepped out from the treeline. Fear rounded Torg’s eyes, his face paling. Glancing back at me with the brightest smile he could muster, the corner of his lips quivered. Tears shimmered in his eyes, his order for me to run not registering. Too paralyzed  to move, a critical blow had been delivered to his side. Sinking to his knees, tall grass swallowed his body. 

“Come out, Wistox! You belong to me.” He growled through gritted teeth, my trembling body refusing to move. Moving with him, a deathly pale Torg smiled warmly in my direction. Hovering my hands over him, his wounds refused to seal shut. 

“Hey, loser!” Dar’s voice echoed in the distance, a bottle of Torg’s miracle elixir rolled into my palm. “Eat this!” Golden lightning struck him in the chest, Mortimus flipped through the air with the powerful blow. Hitting a tree with a thud, his boots pounded towards me. Crouching down to my level, Luna clung onto his back. Popping off the cork, he poured the thick iridescent liquid down his throat. Lowering Luna next to me, his lips brushed against the top of her head. 

“Get him into your village and hide. He should be fine, Wist.” He assured me while burying me into a welcome bear hug, one tap causing his body to levitate him enough for us to move him. “No matter how loud I scream, don’t look back. Can you promise me that?” Cupping my cheeks, his calm demeanor relaxed my fraying nerves enough for me to do as he asked. Pressing a golden pearl into Luna’s palm, their words went in one ear and through the other. Torg mumbled a weak protest, Dar reprimanding him with a comforting smile. Horror widened my eyes, Mortimus appearing over us. Blocking him with ease, the time to run was now. Exhaustion stole Torg away, Luna and I working together to bring him into my destroyed village. Fighting the urge to freeze up, Luna’s hand holding mine granted me the ability to guide us into the closest cellar. Locking it behind us, the darkness had my breath shortening. Drawing a few symbols on the pearl, a golden glow revealed the hollow memories of my former home. A dome hummed to life, the golden energy promising to protect us. Scanning the floor for a large puddle, her eyes lit up. Tears of her own were pouring from her eyes, a quiet mumble bringing footage of the fight to us. Neither of us could look away, Dar taking blow after blow. Spitting out a glob of blood, Fel dug through her boots. Plucking out three healing potions, her heart rate matched mine. 

“He’ll be okay!” I blurted out in a piss poor attempt to comfort her, her wet eyes meeting mine. “I know it. Dar won’t leave us here.” Smiling softly to herself, her eyes flitted around the moss covered stone. Checking on Torg one last time, his body floated to the floor. A scar rose where he had been struck, his breathing steadying. Crawling over to her, I pulled her onto my lap. Cupping her shaking hands, my presence stalled an approaching panic attack. Sucking in a deep breath, Torg used the wall to get on his feet. Shaking off the effects of the potion, his fingers curled around the lock. Tossing him the healing potions, he mouthed thank you as he climbed out of the cellar. Crashing towards him, his form skidded to take a blow for Dar. Hitting Mortimus with a massive wave of water, Dar gulped down a healing potion. Feeling no effect, he sure was strong. The spell faltered out, her fingers splashing into the puddle. A quiet fear settled into us, Fel curling into my arms. Resting my chin on her head, our ears pinned back for what seemed like an eternity. 

“Do you think he will make it back?” She wept into my shoulder, my palms rubbing her back. Dirt stained her ivory blouse, water splashing onto her pants. Helping to her feet with me, her footfalls haunted my ears with every climb up the stairs. Opening the torched door, a single fireplace stood where my home once protected me. Tracing the marks my mother made, Fel tucked her feelings away to aid me in my current mental crisis.

“They took you too, huh?” She queried sweetly, my heart skipping a beat. “Was this your home?” Nodding my head dejectedly, her fingers intertwined with mine. Not needing to say anything, the dome’s light illuminated her gorgeous eyes. Parting my lips several times, her ears seemed ready to listen. 

“We were eating dinner when they showed up. Fires started, our water team unable to stop them. A couple of bastards came in and slaughtered my parents in front of me. The metallic scent of blood is chasing me to this day.” I sobbed uncontrollably, my maturity no longer existing. “Then they sold me to that bastard.” Burying me into a bear hug, the dirt on her blouse became mud. Holding me until the tears dried, a pale purple sun began to rise. Dar and Torg sprinted towards us, bruises and cuts dotting their skin. Embracing us at the same time, a bit of bliss crashed through me at how much they were fussing over us. Fel leapt into Dar’s arms, Torg opening up his arms. Crawling into them, not one word would pass in the air for a couple of hours. Trauma had sunk her claws into us all, Torg excusing himself. Chasing after him, his features brightened at the sight of me. 

“Thank you for being a brave boy today, Wisty.” He choked out through a wall of tears, his hand running through his hair. “Don’t tell Til about this. She mustn’t worry about my wound with your little brother or sister coming along soon.”  Grinning dejectedly to myself, one thing could cure his sadness. Climbing onto his back, his hands held mine for a moment. 

“Can I show you something?” I requested politely, a curious glint bringing life to his eyes. “The edge of the woods will steal your breath away.” Shooting out a cheery sure, a small shiver rattled his hands. Hugging him with gusto, his muscles relaxed. Pointing which way to go, dark purple trees twisted into the sky. Rushing water caused quiet weeps to wrack my body, the bath time with my mother hitting my mind aggressively.  Her smile blurred in my head, Til’s coming in birthing confusion. Who do I love? Flipping me over his head, his strong arms lifted me over his head. Sorrow splashed onto his face, his real smile slowing them down. 

“You love both. Til loves you but your mother loved you until the day she passed. Don’t let that guilt drown you.” He comforted me compassionately, his arms lowering me onto his hip. “What a beautiful place.” Our breath hitched at the same time, glowing lilac water cascaded into a quartz pool. Hiking down with excitement in his eyes, tears welled up in his eyes. 

“Did I ever tell you about the ruby waterfall we had in our town?” He asked politely, a shy no tumbling from my lips. “Perfect. Everyday, my mother and father would take my brother and I to the edge of a quartz pool similar to this. That was until a war tore us apart. No one survived but the four of us.” Ruffling my head, he kicked off his boots. Wading into the water, healing properties reversed the cuts and bruises. Setting me down in the shallow part, his head sank under the water. Swimming behind him, a cave stole my vibrant smile away. Different colors flashed in their own show, his hand ripping me out of the water. Exploring the system with a zealous sense of adventure, a large source of energy sent us crashing through the tunnels. Two tall doors towered over us, hands grabbing our shoulders frightened us. Dar and Fel poked their heads in between us, a worn box jolting around underneath Dar’s arm. 

“Someone had to wander off and I stumbled upon this.”  He pointed out with a wink, a blast of hot air drying us off. “I believe this belongs to you.”  Placing the box in my palms and his boots at his feet, the darn thing clicked open while Torg slid his feet into his boots. A crystal key hovered in front of me, the box shattering to pieces. A keyhole rose from the center, the grinding noise irking Fel and me. Approaching the door with earned apprehension, Torg stepped to my side with his blade at the ready. Sliding the key in with a swelling dread, Fel’s hand curled around mine. Cranking the key to the left together, her confidence quelled my dread. Closing my eyes, the doors hissing air hit us with a stale wind. Crinkling my nose in disgust, my jaw dropped at my family’s spell book laying on a silver altar. Crossing the threshold with her hugging my waist, the door slammed shut behind Fel. Dar and Torg pounded on the door, silver flames crackling to life. Sand poured in from the top, Fel tapping her foot twice. Vines crept up the walls, her boots crashing up to the door. 

“Sand is pouring in. Do something!” She pleaded through the crack, a sleeping gas knocking them out. “The solution is on us.” Leaping over a thick vine, grains of sand piled in faster the second the book met her hand. Pausing a couple of inches in front of me, a gust of wind blew our hair up. Flying open, the pages fluttered to a spell. Not understanding the words, anxiety pinned my ears back for the millionth time. Sand crunched with panicked movement, Fel’s throat clearing prevented an incoming anxiety attack.  

“The spell reads as such.” She informed me with an adorable smile, my breath hitching at her goofy grin. “Sands of time, drown us not. Wake up what slumber stole. Go on, try it!” Spinning around, the twinkle in her eyes reminded me of Dar. Those two were peas in a pod, my real smile dancing across my lips. Shimmying into my arms, her palms supported mine. 

“Sands of time, drown us not. Wake up what slumber stole.” I chanted shakily, magical wonder illuminating our features as the sand dribbled through the cracks. Time slowed down, the groan of the doors opening became background noise. Sinking to my knees, embarrassment flushed my cheeks. Grinning ear to ear, something told me that she was content in where she was trapped. Closing the book with pride in her eyes, Dar rushing in to check on us  wrecked the moment. Not wanting to move, his eyes darted down to the spell book in her hands. 

“Where did you learn to read that book?” He inquired curiously before I could, her lips parting several times. Scratching the back of her head, shame dimmed her eyes. Averting her gaze to the tallest pile of sand,a warm hug from me settled her nerves. 

“As an assassin, you have to learn all the languages. I am willing to bet that Phantom and Cia can understand every language as well. I can help you both if you desire.” She admitted dejectedly, sand crunching as she rose to her feet. “Sorry about my horrible past.” Brushing past us, she slammed the book into Dar’s chest. Too stunned to speak, her past never bothered me. Hell, cat people had been forced to do horrible things for all of an eternity.

“Go cheer her up, kid.” He mumbled quietly, tears welling up in his eyes. “I don’t know how to help her with the current situation.” Defeat drained the color from his face, his footfalls sounding hollow with every step away from me. Catching up to a sobbing Fel, a single crystal kept us apart. Hiding her face with her palms, her core was shaken.

“You should hate me. I was a monster.” She choked out through her fingers, the crystal crumbling as she slid down. Scooping her into a sweeping hug, her emotions soaked my shoulder. Kissing the top of her head, a confused expression met my frantic one. Choking out a barrage of apologies, her hand covered my mouth. Pecking my cheek, a deep scarlet painted our cheeks. Collapsing from the exhaustion, Dar came around the corner with his scythe to the ready. 

“Time to go back, kiddo.” He sniffled with a tired smile, his fingers drumming on his leg. “Take care of her for me when I can’t. Can you promise me that?” Silent tears splashed to his boots, his cracks beginning to show. Passing Fel to him, his features brightened up a bit. 

“She will always need you. Don’t ever think that she doesn’t love you.” I returned while wiping away my abrupt tears. “I am going to find Torg to cheer him up.” Nodding with another exhausted grin, my boots clicked around the corner. Crashing towards a sulking Torg, his opening  arms caught me. Spinning me around, his aura shifted to one of joy. Exhaustion weighed on my eyelids, a rough slumber stealing me away.

Groaning awake, an eager Fel plopped onto my bed. A rare green A-line dress floated over her body, the usual outfit making her look more stunning in my eyes. Laying down next to me, any breath evaporated from my chest. Throwing a ball against the ceiling, we took turns catching it. 

“Daddy left with your dad today. Did you want to hang out? We can help my mother first and then we can play hide and seek.” She babbled excitedly, her bright smile not hiding the brewing depression. Catching the ball for her, surprise rounded her eyes. 

“If you are going to smile, it needs to be real. Cry if you need to when you are around me. Use my shoulder as your tissue. I don’t give a crap.” I comforted her while rolling over to face her, mixed emotions flashing in her eyes. Cupping her cheek, her palm covered the top of my hand. Tears welled up in her eyes, her breaths growing shorter. Clinging to my hand in an attempt to ground herself, my arms clutched her close to me. Burying her face into my neck, our bond strengthened in that instant. Her grip on me tightened, all of her anxiety and agony soaking into my pillow. 

“Always hold my hand, especially when I fall.” She pleaded softly, her wet eyes meeting my accidental puppy love look. “Get up and hold my hand around town. Do I look pretty?” Leaping off of me, a spin had the skirt floating up. Sparkles floated around her, her fingers snapping whipping me back into the moment. Cherishing it, life could only look up from here.