Thaw Shall Warm This Frozen Heart {Logicality}

Chapter 7

It had been a few minutes after Virgil had calmed down. Patton's presence seems to have eased his nerves as he slowly regains a steady breathing pattern again.

"It's nice to meet you, Virgil." The nineteen year old says, a light chuckle escaping his throat, "I wish it were in better circumstances, though."

"Y-yeah, me too."

Virgil's eyes flicker to his restraints, then to the one's on Patton, and he wonders how the other ended up in this place.

"Did the smoke-creature take you, too?"

"Yeah... I'm apparently going to be killed for the actions of my ancestor." Patton answers with a shrug.

Not that he wasn't fazed by it– He's terrified out of his mind! But the situation didn't make all that much sense to him yet. He blames his own lack of knowledge in both magic and his own origin.

The younger teen's breath hitches at the familiarity of Patton's situation.

He knows that story...

"You– ...you're a descendant? Of the wizard?"

"I mean, that's what I was told..." Patton answers back, "I was orphaned as an infant, so I've never really known my parents, nor do I know the entirety of my family tree."

Virgil's eyes soften at Patton's sudden confession, "I'm sorry." He says, bowing his head low. The nineteen year old though was quick to assure him that it was fine and that he didn't really feel any sadness towards it. After all, he got to grow up under the roof of a caring guardian alongside his dearest friend, so why should he worry about what he could have had when everything he ever wanted was with Mr. Picani and Logan? Might as well include Roman and his fathers.

"What about you, Virgil? Where's your family?"

Said teen kept his eyes downcast when he answered.

"Both my parents are dead. Demetri is the only family I have left..."

"Demetri is your brother, right?"

"Yeah..."

Patton, being the optimist that he is, smiles reassuringly at the other boy, "Don't be sad, Virgil, I bet your brother is on his way to save you right now!"

"Ugh, that's the thing! I don't even know if he is coming to save me!"

"Oh don't be silly, he's your brother!"

Virgil shakes his head and tries burying himself deeper into his hoodie, "I'm sure he's happy that I'm gone... All I ever was to him was a burden anyway..."

The nineteen year old frowns at that, "How are you so sure about that?"

"B-because I am!" a single tear rolls down the young shapeshifter's face as he explains why, "He's always the one looking out for me. And whenever I try to do the same for him, he gets mad!"

Patton nods and remains calm as Virgil vents to him.

"I just don't understand why he won't let me do things on my own... I'm not a kid anymore! I can handle myself..."

"I'm sure you can, Virgil." Patton starts off, "But have you ever thought of the reason to why he treats you the way he does?"

"I-..." The young shapeshifter purses his lips in deep thought, "N-no... I guess not."

The nineteen year old continues, "Well, try reversing your roles. Instead of him, you had to take on a parental role at a young age. You had to fend for both yours and your brother's survival. And after years of only having each other, it's impossible to think that you two would ever be separated."

Virgil listens intently to every word spoken.

"But then came the fact that your brother is also growing up. And he wants to do things on his own because, like you said, he's not a kid anymore. You want to allow him, of course you would. But the trauma left by the loss of your parents has made it difficult for you to let him go..."

"Oh..." is the only thing the younger man could utter as the information settles in.

"Your brother doesn't see you as a burden, Virgil." Patton rests a comforting hand on other's leg.

"He's just scared of losing you."

"...And that happened."
______

After an hour of walking in silence, Demetri stops in his tracks to survey the area and sniff the air.

"I smell him..."

Remy turns to the turtleneck wearing shapeshifter with a raised brow.

"Smell who?"

Taking in a deep breath, Demetri closes his eyes and concentrates.

"My brother... And someone else."

"Patton..." Logan softly says.

Roman's eyes figuratively light up once he spots a cave not that far from where they stood, "Over there!"

Not wanting to waste anymore time, the group makes a run for it.

Hope fills the air.

Adrenaline beginning to course through each of their veins as they're almost to the entrance.

But then...

"Ah, what a wonderful surprise."

A chilling, sinister voice emanates from a cloud of dark smoke. It then taking form of the evil spirit himself.

Fumus.

"Mr. Starr, come to finally meet your demise?"

The sassy mage all but crosses his arms, "Not today, Fungus."

"Very well, killing you it is, then."

Letting out a gurgled growl, Fumus let's out a nasty green gas from his mouth.

"Don't breathe that shit in, boys!" Remy warns as he uses his light powers to distract the angered smoke-creature.

"I'll sneak in and find them." Demetri informs before shape-shifting into his wolf form and sprinting towards the cave's entrance.

"Logan, can you make an ice barrier around us"

The 21 year old stiffens and looks at his hands in worry, "Roman, I've never done that before. I don't know how-"

"Sure you can! I know you can!" The younger man encourages, "Just focus and let your powers do the rest!"

"But- "

"On my signal!"

Fire erupts from Roman's hands as he makes an aim for the green gas.

"Mr. Starr! Get behind me!"

While Fumus is temporarily blinded by the light rays, Remy rushes towards the two teens.

"Logan! NOW!"

Roman shoots a flaming ball forward, just as Logan closes his eyes and makes an upward motion with is hands.

An ice barrier is made just in time to save them from the massive explosion that happened seconds later.

Fumus screams and dissolves into smoke, leaving behind nothing but small patches of fire in the place he had stood.

Logan is met with proud smiles from both Roman and Mr. Starr.

"Didn't think you had it in ya, kid."

The younger mage chuckles and lightly punches his friend's arm.

"I knew you could do it."

Returning their smiles, Logan nods forward and says with new-found determination,

"Let's go save our friend."