You Are My Escape (G/T) (Completed)

19

The sun had lowered beyond the horizon long ago, and it was getting pretty difficult for Matt to see, even with his phone light.

Ezriel had taken him off of the well-beaten path a few minutes ago and he stumbled a bit as he made his way through the thick foliage and rough terrain, praying to whatever god out there that these broken twigs and dead leaves weren't going to be the last thing he saw.

While he didn't really believe in the tales until now, Matt had never ventured into these woods during his time in the town. He usually liked going for walks in nature, taking his guitar and playing in the fields, but after multiple townspeople reported 'strange sightings' in the trees he found he didn't have the courage to enter here and see them for himself.

A particularly cold breeze blew right through him and he shivered as he pulled his hoodie closer to ward off the brisk spring night, trying to be mindful of Ezriel. While Cyrill had flown on ahead the prince took to riding on his right shoulder between his neck and the fabric of his hood, holding onto his small silver earring like it was a train handle. He'd insisted that it was for protection, that the guards wouldn't attack if he was with him, and Matt agreed but his heart could barely handle the contact. 

He could hardly hear anything other than it beating like a war drum in his ears, but whether that was from Ezriel's closeness or the hike or the fact that he was potentially going to lose his memories, he couldn't tell. It started to weigh down on him though, making his legs feel like lead with every heavy footfall as he pushed on into the dark.

"I don't see anything…" Matt commented softly, more to himself than anything. He peered suspiciously into the woods around them as he walked, finding it hard to believe that a whole other world of people lived just a few minutes walk away. He kept expecting to hear or see something- a glimpse of another fairy or a hushed murmur among the leaves or the barrier that the blonde had mentioned a couple times, but everything was dead quiet.

"Just keep going," Ezriel encouraged. "They'll show themselves before you actually get there."

"...So how come no one's ever discovered this place?" Matt asked after a couple seconds. "There has to have been, like, a hiker or someone that's gotten pretty close before right?"

The prince nodded, forgetting for a moment that Matt couldn't see him. "There have been some close calls, but the scouts always lure humans away if they get near." 

Matt hummed in acknowledgement. That would definitely explain the local legends of the weird 'lights' in the forest that some people saw. Their dogs would go crazy over them, and more than a few frustrated pet owners have sworn off ever taking these trails again. 

The two walked a little more in silence after that, besides a bit of directional advice from Ezriel to get there. In all honesty he didn't think that his mother would allow anything from this, but it was still worth a shot. It was too late for him to use the spell anyway- he couldn't do it then and he certainly wouldn't do it now, leaving the brunet lost in the woods without a trail to follow. Besides this was for his people and their future as much as it was for himself, and although it was reckless and he was more nervous than he'd ever been in his life, it stood the best chance of getting his point across.

Matt took another couple steps into a small clearing in the trees, but when he tried to pick his foot up once more he found that it wouldn't budge.

The grass and plants on the forest floor had grown tight around his feet, beginning to wind up his legs at an incredible speed; The sudden loss of momentum almost threw him off balance, but the vines that snaked up his body fastened him in place. They were quick to secure every limb, up to his shoulders where Ezriel still sat, and Matt couldn't help but panic at the sudden restriction as his phone clattered to the ground.

"Halt, human." An authorative voice rang through the still of the night, and what Matt saw next made his blood run cold.

He ceased his struggling as a ring of fairies surrounded him, holding long spears in shaky grips. They were all dressed like soldiers, like Cyrill was, glaring at him with their blades drawn. And while he figured they wouldn't be too intimidating on their own, there were lots of them and Matt was completely immobilized. All he could do was stare in dumbfounded fear at the moonlit shimmer of their many wings and weapons, and hope that they wouldn't use them against him.

"Release the prince at once." The same stern voice commanded, a lone fairy drifting forward a few inches. Matt's mouth opened to speak in his defense, but he struggled to find the right words to say.

"At ease, I've not been captured-- This human is not dangerous." Ezriel corrected as he flew into their sight to show them all that he was unharmed, but it did little to ease their minds.

The ring of fairies heavily side-eyed Matt, staring at him with everything between anger, bewilderment, and barely disguised fascination. He'd tensed as Ezriel left his side, aching for any sense of familiarity in this wild night, but he had faith that the blonde wouldn't just leave him here like this.

"Then why did you bring it here?" The commanding officer of the patrol section asked, looking between the two of them with his arms crossed. They had come dangerously close to the barrier, something he was tasked with not allowing.

"We wish to speak with my mother." The prince explained.

"Well, this is certainly a preposterous way to demand an audience." He huffed, giving him a look that said nothing short of I hope you know what you're doing. "But it is effective. Lady Edena is approaching as we speak."

"Good." Ezriel nodded in fake confidence, trying not to let his nerves show through. This would work. It had to work. His people were rule followers but they were not blind, and he could find no better evidence to call for change than this.

He let out a short sigh and looked back over at Matt, who still stood uncomfortably twisted up in strings of roots and leaves a few feet away.

"Please dispell the lock you have on him, I swear on the crown that he will not harm any of us." He assured.

Very reluctantly, the officer did as the prince said and the suffocating feeling around Matt's body evaporated as the grass and vines fell back to the ground with a soft crunch. He took a deep breath and pocketed his phone now that he was able to, trying not to think about just how much tighter those plants could have wove if Ezriel hadn't been there to stop them.

The rest of the fairies were still tense, but had lowered their weapons to their sides as they all waited for the queen's arrival. Cyrill had found her way back to them too and had joined Matt and Ezriel in the ring, knowing that she had a part to play in this as well. She wasn't looking forward to how the queen would react to her negligence at carrying out their orders, but after thinking about everything she'd seen and learned she felt willing to speak on Matt's behalf if needed.