Grounded

27

Este chokes back his tears.

His palm burns. The skin has already stared to turn bloody.

His grip falters for just a second-

And he grips tighter. His breathing is heavy and ragged. His other hand tightens around the younger boy in his arms. Este's eyes sting with the strain of keeping himself from crying, and his shirt is stained with the tears of the terrified boy.

If his his grip fails then both of them fall to their deaths.

How did he get here? What went so wrong that Este is hanging off the side of a cliff?

He takes a shaky breath to recall the day.

It started off easy enough.

Este and Diluc set off to Wolvendom's area for training. Diluc had canonically became a cavalry captain this year at age 14 so Este had been confident they could traverse free of worries.

And then, they had gotten seperated.

There had been a barrage of slimes from one side, supported by a mitachurl and a few samachurls. They had already killed the weakest bunch but Este had-

They got seperated when Este saw what the Mitachurl was attacking.

Diluc had been busy with the slimes and everything else. Este pursued the Mitachurl.

He had only glimpsed it, but in a bush the Mitachurl was approaching, had been someone.

Now Este was running towards the bush, and frantically looking around for signs of life.

Then, a small boy of 8 years popped out of the bush. With puffed cheeks, long silver hair framing his face, and the only thing covering him being brown pants and an orange coat. A small o shaped mouth and eyes wide with suprise, the boy had proceeded to bark.

That boy was Razor.

Este had scooped the kid into his arms in the panic. The Mitachurl was closing in on them, and Este took off in some random direction. A glance behind him told Este that the Mitachurl was steadily following and he fastened his pace.

And came to the edge of the cliff.

He cautiously took a few steps back.

Este took one look at the drop and jagged rock at the bottom, and knew it was death if he jumped there. Este also didn't have time to set up his glider to fly down gently.

He slowly backed away from the edge, his grip on Razor tightening again. The boy had realized what was happening some time during the chase and was crying silent tears to Este's shirt.

Este turned around, panic already thrumming in his veins and-

Slam!

Pain exploded in his ribs out of nowhere.

The Mitachurl collided onto his side, with force Este was sure left his ribs in a mutilated state. He already had multiple injuries from the fight before but this one was the worst one yet.

The searing pain was only a moment's distraction, because the Mitachurl was still charging forwards.

Este was hit multiple times, his body curled to protect Razor from getting hit.

The Mitachurl sent him flying, and Este flew over the edge of the cliff.

Panic surged through his veins as the feeling of free falling overcame his senses.

The fear of plummeting to his death was overwhelming.

Him becoming just a bloodstain on the ground was seconds away from happening.

Este blindly reached out with his hand, and stabbed forward.

Just barely, the tiny blade caught onto something.

The pocket knife he had on his hand to be used as his weapon miraculously stuck to the cliff.

Este's body weight caused it to dig more down. The force of the sudden stop of their free fall caused Este's shoulder to pop out of place.

He cried out in pain, but held on, even as his limp body swung around.

Este was battered. It was an honestly amazing that his grip held at all.

And that was what happened.

The searing pain all over Este's body was intensifying by the second. His legs dangled in the air, useless for all they were the least injured part of him.

Este bit his lip and grunted as another flash of pain went through his arm.

He glanced down. The drop was still fatal for Este, but maybe not for Razor.

If Este wrapped his body around Razor and dropped down with his back to the ground Razor could likely survive.

No, Este shook his head.

He can't give up on his own life that easily.

He pondered over his other options. If he swung his legs to try to get a proper foothold, his arm was likely to give in. He also couldn't risk the knife slipping out of the hold it had on the cliff side.

Climbing could have been an option if Razor wasn't here. As it stands Razor was rooted to his other arm, and with the death grip the boy had on his bicep Este wasn't likely to get boy to shift to holding his neck or midriff.

Este's whole body was twitching with pain. He had to do something sooner rather than later.

Este glanced up and-

A small chip. The sound of metal screeching against something else.

The pocket knife was going to snap.

Este felt the panic that had stayed dormant for a second resurge.

He quickly swung his legs towards the side of the cliff and-

Cling!

With a delicate sound the knife that had held the two safe snapped in two.

Este felt his body seize up, and a choked off cry seized in his throat.

He looked down upon the earth, and his nearing death and-

Falling.

Ground, coming closer by the second, the reason of his impending death.

Este curled around Razor and hoped for the best.

.

.

.

The impact was sudden.

It came on Este like a mountain, and he could feel the cold ground against his cheek.

However.

There was no increase in pain.

Rather he felt light.

The pain was decreasing.

Este peeked his eyes open. A world of gold greeted him.

He was encased in a sheer globe of yellow. The color reminding Este of stars.

Around him rocks were floating in the air. The gold encasing him was glowing slightly too.

Este shifted. His ribs still in slight pain.

He poked a rock out of curiosity, and suddenly the pain in his ribs lightened as the rock dissapeared.

Este let out a small gasp.

Razor also looked around in wonder at the air. He copied Este's movements and lightly batted one of the floating rocks.

Este felt his pain lessens once more as the rock Razor hit dissapeared.

He-

He got a vision.

A Geo vision, that just saved Este from sure death.

A small hysterical laugh escaped him.

"Thank Barbatos." He whispered as he slumped and laid on the ground. Razor joining in with his own cute giggles to Este's hoarse laugh.

He's now a vision holder.