CW: a lot of stuttering (Virgil's going to be stuttering for almost the rest of the book)
Clay glared at the paper in his hands, no longer reading the words but just staring at them. It was about a fairy, one who had been stolen from a human town and the heartbreak that everyone in the town felt for the beast. He tore it up, making the hunters in the room with him tense up at his anger.
"I can't believe people are stupid enough to side with monsters!" he yelled, throwing the scrap papers onto his desk. Some slid off and floated down to the ground, but no one moved to pick it up. "It's only a matter of time before they hear about Whitemore, and then they'll think they can fight us! Please tell me you have some good news?"
"Well, sir, we uh, we have assembled an army to invade Matela," one of the hunters offered.
"That was fast. How big?"
"Um... it-it should be enough-"
Clay hit his desk with his fist. "Numbers! How big is the army?!"
"T-two hundred, give or take?" The hunter hid behind a clipboard.
"Two hundred? Two hundred?! Whitemore had almost a hundred hunters! And they're all dead except for one useless man!" Clay picked up a mug and chucked it at the wall. Pieces flew everywhere and several hunters jumped in fear. "What happened to the others! We should have more!"
"U-um... well word has spread of Whitemore already. With that, and the p-paper uh... Many hunters had left. Some feared for their life, others families disapproved of their work. Morale is low."
"Fine." Clay sat down. "It'll have to do. I'll just come up with a plan to get everything smoothed out again. I always do. We'll squash this little rebellion before any others start."
"And if the king becomes involved?"
"If we have to work in the shadows we will! We're doing what's right! The less monsters the better! Now leave! Prepare to depart, if this little town really wants to fight then we'll show them a true battle."
The hunters scrambled out of the room, leaving Clay at his desk. He glared at the torn up paper in front of him, an ink drawing of a fairy and a human boy in a wheelchair. How could anyone be so foolish to trust a monster, to the point of dying for them.
~~~
"Darrell, get down, he needs to eat!" Roman scolded the fox who currently laid on Virgil's chest, attacking him with kisses.
The fairy smiled, lifting a hand and putting it on Darrell's back as he yipped in protest. He had feeling back in his hands again, and had for a while, but he still had trouble moving his fingers and wrist.
"He-he's ok-kay," he told his love, who was holding a tray of food. "H-he's just... w-worried."
Roman sighed and set the tray down on the nightstand. He scratched Darrell's head before placing a kiss on Virgil's. "I know, but you need food. The more you eat, the stronger you'll get."
"I-iron p-poison-ning takes t-time to-to he-heal," Virgil struggled to say. "I-I'm al-already healing f-faster than la-last t-time."
The witch cupped Virgil's cheek, hating the dark circles under his eyes. "You're still stuttering, you can barely speak."
"Tha... that c-can be f-for a num-number of re-reasons... I-I... tr-trauma f-for o-one."
"I know, I can still feel you fear. I just want you to be safe again, to feel safe."
Virgil leaned into his hand. "T-time..."
"I know, 'that'll take time.' Everyone's been telling me that, but... you can't blame me for wanting that now?" His fairy shook his head gently, closing his eyes and falling into the warmth from both Roman's hand and Darrell, who was still on his chest. "Hey now, don't fall asleep, you still need to eat."
YOU ARE READING
Feathers & a Dash of Magic
Fanfiction*Completed* Everything was normal, Virgil's learned to be normal. It was hard at first, living with a human family on a farm and all, but he got used to it. Even after his adoptive parents passed away, he's learned to live with just Patton, his adop...
