My throat pounded in time with my own heart as I raced outside, hand shielding my eyes from the rain as I attempted to locate either bird within the sea of heavy rain, all the while my mind racing.

What the heck.

What the fuck.

Images of that tiny bird from my own childhood flashed rampant through my brain, the image of that same bird- Sylvian-

Sylvian was-

He was that-

I cursed under my breath, running to the alley I had nearly been mugged in the night before, looking back up to the sky, this time catching sight of a black mass of wings.

"Sylvian!" I shouted through my hands, not caring for the strange look of an individual that walked past, looking at me with a concerned expression.

Over the pure massiveness of the crow I couldn't see the small bird anywhere.

But as the mass of flapping wings and loud screeches descended a couple more feet down I could certainly hear them.

There, wiping the pounding rain out of my eyes I could see the small lark dart in between the alley of buildings I was in, darting up and over the larger bird appearing to actively rip feathers from the crow's neck before jumping out and away again in some sort of attack and go.

The crow responded with an angered cry, attempting to rake its talons through the small bird and with a successful cry, my heart lurched to my throat the moment those bird's talons successfully tore through the lark's wing-

The bird screamed.

And- and fell.

He was falling.

"Sylvian!" I screamed, running towards the falling form, hands going out as if to somehow catch the tiny animal.

The lark's form seemed to shimmer halfway in freefall, he appeared elf again, hitting the pavement in a splash of rain and a yell of pain that rang through the alley and shook me to my core.

I couldn't even think to Thalias possibly still flying above us, as my eyes locked hold of the blood coating Sylvian's shoulder and seeping into his shredded white shirt and falling to the pavement and I couldn't even think.

He wasn't moving.

Damn it he wasn't moving.

"Sylvian? Noah? Oh my g- I-" I didn't know what to do, sliding to my knees beside him, hands trembling over the deep gouges dug into one shoulder and leaking crimson streaks into the ground under him and I wanted to- to do something, I couldn't-

Green eyes shot open with a start and I fell backward in surprise, Sylvian slowly sitting up, small noises of pain escaping his lips, hand going to grip just below his injured shoulder, and I couldn't tell through the rain if it was water or tears leaving his eyes, thin ears quivering.

"I imagine that doesn't feel good, does it?" Thalias's voice echoing down the alley and we both froze, Sylvian's eyes shooting to the dark elf approaching from behind and I turned around, still sitting on the ground, but extending my arms across Sylvian's form, chest heaving as adrenaline shot through me, my teeth clenched in some attempt at a snarling pose.

Thalias chuckled, coming to a stop above me, "What? You want to protect your hero?" He threw his head back with a wheezing laugh, one arm clutching his chest as he looked back down at me with a crimson stare, "He hasn't even told you the real truth to why he's protecting you, has he?" His eyes went to the form behind me, a sneering look in his eyes, his next sentence threateningly low, "You're not the only person he's kept secrets from."

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