To Break A Curse

62

"Oh no..." Virgil frowned in pain as the two of them stepped out on to the island beach. Blackened tails of corruption covered the land in patches. Virgil's heart clenched this overwhelming sense of pain and dread overcame him. "It's dying."

"What?" Virgil's eyes fill with tears as he walked out towards the tree line, reaching out for a blacked leaf only to jump as Roman tore his hand back. "Don't touch it, Virgil."

"The island is dying, Roman." Roman's eyes flashed black as Virgil's heart broke. "I can feel it. The corruption... It's killing everything here."

"The sooner we get to Thomas the better. Just..." Roman pulled him back more with this worried look. "Don't touch the corruption, Love. Please?"

"I'm sorry. I just..." Virgil sighed as he nodded as stared at the dirt below him. "I just felt like I had to do something. I had to help."

"You're a Demi of life..." Virgil's eyes narrowed as Roman ran his hands through his hair. "And you're Thomas's heart. You just have to keep reminding yourself that you are helping... by finding Thomas. There's nothing else you can do."

"I got it." Virgil smiled as Roman nodded and hugged him close. "I'm sorry. I won't do it again."

"Ok. Then let's get going, Love." Roman's eyes flashed white as he summoned his sword, a pure white and light blue flame covering the blade, as he turned to the tree line. This whole island was practically forest. "Just stay behind me ok?"

"Let's go find Thomas.... before my home ends up like this." The two carefully made there way through the island, cutting and burning away any and all corrupted life. Well, Roman did everything. Virgil just followed along desperately trying to hold himself back from trying to help. The island... Virgil felt like it was calling out to him. Every tree... every flower or bush... Everything cried out in pain as the corruption drained it all of life. Virgil NEEDED to help. It took everything just to stay as still as he could. The only sound to fill the air was Romans grunts as he struggled to clear a path. Virgil was struggling. Every move of his sword sent a hiss through the air... a spark down his spine... a silent scream for help. Next thing he knew the two of them were frozen in their spot. Roman's eyes were narrowed in concern as Virgil held his arm to stop him from cutting down another corrupted branch, eyes glowing as he shivered.

"Virgil?"

"Stop." Roman's eyes went wide as Virgil's voice came out all distorted as it was. "You're just making it worse."

"We don't exactly have another option, Virgil." Virgil grimaced as he the world seemed to pulse around him. Roman could see the struggle in his love's eyes. He could see how much it was hurting him. Virgil was a demi of life. His connection to the world around him is just as strong as Roman's is to contact. He could see Virgil slipping. "Virgil, if you were to use your power it would only taint your vines. You'd be making it worse to and so much harder for you."

"But why do we have to cut them down?"

"We can't touch it." Virgil yelled in frustration as he let Roman go and just froze up in a panic. He gripped his hair, breathing erratically, as he spiraled. "Virgil, come on..."

"I can't. I can't do it. Roman, I just can't. They're in pain. They're suffering and begging for help. I can feel it." Roman's face softened as he tried to think of some way to get Virgil to listen to him. "I have to help. I HAVE to do something."

"Virgil, can you look me?" Virgil frowned as he slowly glanced up only for his heart to just drop seeing Roman standing there arm directly beside a corrupted vine.

"Roman, what are you doing?"

"I'm showing you why we can't touch it." Virgil's eyes filled with horror as Roman just smiled.

"Wait, no. Roman, don't..." Roman hissed out in pain as the vine literally burned his skin. Virgil ran over knocking the vine away as he tugged Roman closer and just crying seeing the blackened burns on his arm. "Roman, what the fuck?" Roman just weakly laughed as he leaned against Virgil for support. 

"That... drained me more than I thought it would." Virgil growled protectively as he hesitantly ghosted his fingers over the burn. "Don't touch, Virgil. I'll be fine... i-in a m-minute."

"No. You'll be fine now." Virgil's glowing eyes flashed brightly as this tiny white thread-like vines branched out from Virgil's hand wrapping around Roman's burn. Roman's eyes flashed a bright blinding white in reaction the Virgils magic as he shivered, feeling the numbness overcome his arm.

"What are you doing?" Virgil smiled softly as the vine slowly released Roman's arm now completely healed with not even a hint of a mark. "How?"

"How do you think a saved you before?" Roman's eyes snapped up as Virgil just laughed. "My powers in life and creation. You don't think I'd have some way to heal?"

"Well, yeah but... Hey!" Roman yelled as Virgil slapped his arm. "What was that for?"

"For being stupid. You're not supposed to be doing that shit. You didn't have to hurt yourself." 

"Yes, I did." Virgil's eyes darkened as Roman just stared at his sword. "How else were you going to realize the risk of all this? We are literally walking through one big death trap. We can't touch anything or else we end up like those plants."

"I... I know. It's just... I'm sorry."

"Don't be, Love. I know the feeling." Virgil frowned as Roman carefully pulled him in with a soft breath. "Sure it's not the exact same thing but... I do know what it's like to have your whole being craving to do something and not being able to. You have to tune it down. If you give in and you get hurt... I don't know what I'd do."

"I'll try, Roman. I promise. I'll try." Roman nodded as he pressed a soft kiss into Virgil's hair, who just let out a shaky sigh. "I'm sorry."

"Seriously, Virgil. Don't be. Let's just get this over with so that we can get out of this Hazzard."