The Splintered

Escaping Death Always Leaves a Mark

Ezra POV

With that Itsuki got on his horse and rode off into the sunset. After struggling with Mason a bit, I got his armor off. Then removed his shirt to get a good look at the wounds. One on his right side and through his shoulder, though they were relatively small the black veins they emitted were poisonous and breaking havoc on his inner organs. He was whispering something, struggling to get the words out. I leaned down to hear it.

"K-Kill me, p-please, let m-me di...-"

Going into a small coughing fit, I shh'ed him while petting his scalp of hair. Of course, he's got a fever too. It would be the first time since I got to earth that I was biting back tears, other than him casting me out.

"I can't do that."

I replied uncapping the alcohol, on cue, Mason shifted around I waited till his guard was down to pour the alcohol over his fresh cuts. He screamed but I blocked it out till both were fully clean, I drank a sip myself before placing the flask off to the side. Mason went unconscious then but was thankfully still breathing even if it was uneven and hitched. Taking some tree sap in my fingers, I spread it over his wounds as gently as possible. He winced but his sleep wasn't disturbed to the point it woke him. Once the sun fully set I lit up the torch, using a rock to set it in place, and just watched Mason. I planned to sleep at some point, but it never happened. I was staring into space for a while until Mason started to go into a mild seizure. Unconsciously taking Itsuki's advice from earlier, I turned Mason on his side and held him as still as possible making sure he didn't hurt himself. Once the seizure ended, he muttered like he was trying to talk but I could tell he was delirious as hell and just made sure he got back to sleep. A little while later, at dawn, Itsuki rode up looking like hell himself.

"What happened to you?"

I asked walking as Itsuki tied up his horse, he chuckled but I was there in time to help him off the horse. He had a limp and scratches all over his face.

"Quite frankly, it looks like the Botan line doesn't reach this area. They don't like strangers."

"Jesus Itsuki, I'm glad your back."

"How's Mason?"

Sighing I sat back down in the cave as Itsuki outstretched some dry meat, I hesitated to take it but eventually, I did. Glad to eat something. But I replied.

"Not well, his temperature keeps rising, he had a seizure earlier."

"Mm, remember how I told you he was Splintered right? Well..."

Itsuki trailed off leaning on the wall.

"Needless to say he's a strong one, but, indeed, he's only got about a day or two before that virus beats him. Because I was attacked I wasn't able to grab any butterflies, but I'm going back."

"Itsuki you'll be killed-"

"Mason would do it for me. Not to mention, he's given me hope for the future I've gotta repay him."

His mind was made up as we locked eyes and chuckled a bit, probably thinking Mason will get us both killed. At some point, I stopped calling him Anthony, but it doesn't mean I won't be able to bring his emotions back. I know I can.

"Make sure to get more sap for the torch tonight."

"You got it Itsuki."

I replied as Itsuki took a small rest at the cave. Ate food and tended to his wounds up until Mason started having a seizure again, his breathing was way too shallow not to mention his heart was skipping a beat.

"Don't let Mason kick the bucket till I get back alright?"

Itsuki and I shared an arm clasp and a tight smile before I tended back to Mason, for a second he went dead still. Leaning my head down he wasn't breathing as Itsuki rode off for one last stand. I breathed for Mason until he was able to do it on his own, his chest barely rose now wheezing and all but it was still there.

"You hang on Mason, hang on."

I enunciated clasping Mason's face before gathering tree sap again for the torch. To give his body something to cling to, I got some water and gave it to him to drink. He was so pale, but I kept the faith Itsuki would be back. Later in the night, Itsuki came back with a jar of butterflies but unfortunately missed a leg and an eye. From the looks of it, he sacrificed them to get the butterflies, considering he was stitched up properly and everything.

"Let's do this."

Itsuki waited till he was over Mason to release the three butterflies from the jar, they fluttered around for a minute or two then landed on Mason. One landed on his forehead, and the other two landed on the respective wounds. Before Mason started to writhe Itsuki and I held his arms and legs down while the butterflies started to eat the poison out. Like magic the veins started to recede, Mason started to relax as the butterflies continued to heal him. All three butterflies, after closing the wounds, flew off out of the cave. Mason groaned loudly which turned our attention back to him, to our surprise he opened his eyes but I didn't need to be a rocket scientist to know he was a little high from the butterflies' work.

Mason POV

"Y-You son of a-"

I started even if I could barely sit up and see in after images I knew Ezra's face, but Itsuki cut me off.

"Ah easy there cowboy, Ezra saved your life."

Grubling in anger, I gripped Ezra's collar then noticed something very interesting.

"Mason?-"

"Shuuuut up don't say anythiiiiing..."

I slurred out as Ezra looked at my blush and said.

"Look who got their emotions back."

Before I could reply to that, fatigue and sleep washed over me knocking me out quickly. I woke up later thankfully to clear vision as Itsuki noticed and passed me some water to drink out of a pouch. I drank it silently with not much memory of what happened after I hit the water. Of course, my brain didn't forget the blush accident.

"What's the last thing you remember?"

Ezra asked moving in front of me too, I didn't want to talk to him but Itsuki glared until I answered.

"I...hit the water. It gets fuzzy after that until I woke up and saw both of you."

"Well, to put it bluntly, you were dying Mason."

Itsuki responded I just noticed his major injuries. Nodding my head slowly sounds about right.

"Itsuki went on basically a suicide mission to save your life, and I tended to your wounds while he was gone."

Ezra said, I felt the urge to say thank you but was resisting it until I couldn't anymore and said.

"Thank you."

I didn't look at either of them smile at me while I tried to stand up.

"Whoa whoa whoa."

They both said ushering me back down to the wooden slab of a bed.

"Guys I'm fine-"

"You say that, but we know better. You're a workaholic on top of the fact you don't like to deal with your emotions."

"For once in your life, take it slow."

I would have argued both of them but my stomach growled heavily, Ezra went out to hunt which quite frankly I thought he'd be eaten as Itsuki and I continued to chat.