Gem of the Sea (Mertalia SpaMano AU)

27

Just for you, Bekobler

Lovi felt horrid, everything ached, he had rocks in his chest and a fire lit under his tail, the salt water burned at the exposed flesh and he could still feel them scraping away his scales, breaking them and pulling them out one by one, the ropes scraped at his raw wrists, the pain made lights dance behind his eyes "I must be dying" he thought to himself as a tired croak escaped him, he'd been hallucinating all day, first his brothers, his father, his...Toni, they all flitted through his peripheral, he wanted so badly to follow them, to leave this all behind, to not feel anymore, but the witches kept the darkness just out of his reach, god's, he hurt so bad.

He wasn't sure how long he was like that, at one point the moved him, shoving him into an awful, cramped hole, at least the stone here was cool, a moment of relief, he heard screams, he heard his brother, he tried to believe it wasn't a hallucination, but he was running out of things to cling to, why would they be here? It was too much risk for too little gain. And yet, when they lifted him with chillingly gentle hands, out of his hiding place, Feliciano was the one to embrace him, holding him so carefully and Lovi wanted to cry, the look on his older brother's face hurt more than his wounds, pity, shame, fear and a silent apology.

The witches watched them from a distance, there was always at least one, as Deli held him like he was made of glass, gently running a hand over Lovi's tail, smoothing the scales that he could, massaging his bruises gently, reassuring him quietly, making promises Lovi didn't know how to believe.