Shade (Ben x Male!Reader) (Descendants)

Dead Weight

N/a: Hi, I am not dead I promise. My season depression has downgraded back to normal depression so I actually have the desire to work on creative projects. I don't really have anything else to say besides begging for your forgiveness for me updating ungodly slow. 

Ben POV
Just as we entered the gate of the Isles, F/N collapse to the ground. I rushed to the ground to check on him to see he was out cold and barely breathing. His face seemed younger and he appeared to be shorter.

"Gods, is he okay?" Mel asked as she kneeled by my side. She placed her hand on the side of F/N's neck, feeling around for a pulse. "His pulse is faint but steady, we should get him someplace safe." I nodded in agreement. Carlos and Jay helped picked up the sleeping boy, slinging him over our shoulders. "We can take him to my old place, I'm sure no one would dare enter there." Mel leads the way to her mother's old home.

We followed Mel to her old home on the isle, the streets were filled with onlookers as everyone gazed up at the barrier cut through the golden sky to reveal a sea of stars. No one paid attention too much to us but I saw Godmother cover her head with a scarf as an attempt to shield her identity. I wasn't too worried about being seen as I had 4 of the scariest kids from the isles that helping me carry a passed-out boy.

"It is just down this road," said pointing down the main street to a large tower-like building. Her old home was the center of the Island and radiated magic.

"Even without your mother your house still spills out magic," Carlos said.

"The tower is actually the source of magic for the barrier," Godmother said, "It's said to be powered by ether imbued into a sword by Hades to kill a god."

"You don't know where the magic comes from?" Mel asked.

"No, I don't. When we founded the Isles we just knew there was a large amount of magic coming from the center, we built the tower to harness and focus the magic to form the barrier. Locked with a magic spell so people like your mother wouldn't be able to refocus the energy and take down the barrier," Godmother replied

"My mother spent years trying to break that spell, She never got close." Mel reminisced

"Less chit chat more walking. Dude is getting heavy," Jay said readjusted his grip on the boy.

We arrived at the tower and Mel broke the binding spell that locked the door and we entered inside. The tower was surprisingly cozy, well furnished. It was fastly different than the rest of the Isle.

"I guess being the most powerful magic-user has some perks, huh," I said.

"Yeah, my mother has some sway, to say the least," Mel looked around at her childhood home. "Living room is over here, we can put him on the couch while we talk about our next move."

"Next move?" Carlos questioned as they placed the sleeping boy on the deep purple couch. Mel snapped her fingers and the fireplace burst into flames.

"I don't know about you, but I don't plan on staying in this cage for the rest of my life after I just got out. And remember that the Isles used to get supplies from the mainland. I don't think we will be able to stay here forever on the tiny farmland we do have."

"Mel's right, we need a game plan. There has to be something we can do and I have a feeling it has something to do with sleeping beauty over here," I glanced at the boy that seemed to be doing better as he snored ever so quietly.

"His magic is something else I have never seen before. It was old, primal." Godmother said.

"What do you mean?" Mel asked.

"I'm sure you're aware of the aspects of magic Mel. In order for you to light the fire you focused your own energy to gather the aspect of fire in the area to ignite the wood," Mel nodded in agreement. "But when he summoned that sword, he summoned the dark ether. The summoning of ether is an old art that typically isn't practiced anymore because of the intense requirements."

"What kind of requirements?" I asked.

"Devotion to a god. The root of all magic is from the gods, spell casting used to be a form of prayer requesting the god to enact your will. We now teach magic as enacting your own will on the energies around us using your own energy as a guide, spells bring uses to help focus the mind on your intent." Godmother explained. "For him to summon a sword of pure darkness would require a lot of dark ether in the area that just wasn't there."

I stared at the boy as he peacefully slept, lost in the peace he brought me for a moment of time. Whoever he is, it's clear we are going to need him. he stirred in his sleep, mumbling. It brought a soft smile to my face to see such peace in time like this.

"Not to seem whiny, but anyone else starving?" Evie asked. Everyone else nodded in agreement.

"That's probably the one thing I don't have here," Mel said.

"Mel and I can go out and see if we can find us something," I said standing up. Mel simply nodded while standing up with me. We headed out while our friend rest, hoping we could return before he awoke.

The air outside was crisp and a slight breeze circles around us. It was different than the standard staleness the air typically had. We walked down the main street looking at a fee stalls.

"Never thought I would be back on this street looking for food," Mel complained.

"Well might just have to give up, all the stalls are empty it seems," I sighed in defeat.

"It seems I'll have to call in my favor. Damn, I was hoping I could use this to make me money not food. Follow me." Mel said as she turned and started heading to the sea. The walk there was short and soon the salty air filled my nose. Just ahead a saw a small shack and a boy sitting on the shoreline gazing up at the clouds.

"Cam!" Mel called out and grabbed the boy's attention.

"Mel!" he rose from the floor. "What are you doing here. Do you know what's going on?" The boy was just shorter than me, wearing light-colored shorts and a t-shirt that has been bleached by the sun. He seemed inviting. 

"We aren't too sure, it seems that light magic has flooded into the world. It's corrupting everything" Mel explained. "The Isle's barrier seems to be able to stop the flood of light."

"And you have no idea what's causing it?" Mel nods her head in agreement. "This doesn't bode well for us. Is there anything I can do to help?"

"You have any fish? my friends and I barely got here alive and it seems the adrenaline has stopped covered the need to eat."

"I think I have some cod left from this morning," he said opening a container full of frozen fish. "Instantly frozen with magic so they should be fresh like you just caught them." He smiled. "Speaking of friends, whos that behind you?" he cocked an eye and looked at me with a subtle grin.

"Off-limits Cam. This is Ben. Ben this is Cam, Son of Usrla." I stuck out my hand and he gratefully accepted. 

"We best get going Cam, thanks for the help," Mel said with a bow.

"Keep me posted, I'll keep my shop open. I have a sense that fish is going to become very important." 

I glanced back as we walked back to the tower, I felt like I knew him in another life.

The walk back to the tower was quiet as the moon was starting to peek over the golden clouds. As Mel opened the door and we made our way to the kitchen to drop off the fish when we heard a loud gasp with a thud. Mel and I ran to the living and I was meet with E/C burning into mine.

He is awake