Wolf-cubs

by Orrm

Quest 10 - PAO!

Orthros grunted in pain. His head flung back so violently he crashed into a chair. He held himself on the rest, steadying shaky legs. His fingers wound round the wood like it was the only thing holding him up.

Sunset rushed to his side, spying empty, darting eyes full of nothing but fear. She wrapped her hand under his chest, gently resting him onto a plush cushion. She saw his shaking, She saw the bright pink bruise swelling so fast on his head, just a bit lower and ‘Tavi would’ve nailed him right between the eyes. She held his trembling hands and tucked his chin against her, body wrapped well around the boy.

She’d not noticed it before, but he was so, so small.

He took a shuddering breath, and refocused. His eyes gained light and he was back to the world of the living once, more. She could read him like a book. Happy eyes on seeing her, then wandering and wandering till he saw Octavia. Then, fear. Fear that twisted in metamorphosis as the seconds dragged on.

First, fear like a shock to the spine.

Then, fear like a cat flinching after being burned.

But in it’s midst, Fear for her.

Fear that she’d get hurt.

Finally, Steel, Fierceness and resolve to stop it.

It was the last one, that made Sunset awaken. It was the last one, such selfless sacrifice in the face of three people who had both size, age and numbers. Determination to protect her, knowing he’d lose.

It made Sunset find her spine.

“TH-FUCK- AA- OHMYGOD-OHGOD -F-”

Octavia’s index finger hung limply over her pinky. Her wrist bent at an awkward angle, said pinkie seemed to have gained a fifth joint. It was ugly, but so were they. Two cowards who did nothing to stop their friend from assaulting an innocent child. Her stomach tore it’s knots to bits, she didn’t need doubt. Her face flushed hot, eyes wide and arms curled protectively over the dizzy, limp Orthros. She coated her words with poison, with frustration and anger like when she'd burned her orphanage to ash.

“You won’t do that again,” she spat.

High Winds flinched, taking a cautious step back.

Octavia had taken to screaming incoherently, clasping her semi-ruined hand and slumped against a wall. Vinyl had wrapped herself around the girl, consoling her. High Winds warily guarded them, her arm hiding the huddled pair from Sunset and her trembling bear. The athlete’s expression was a mix of horrified, terrified and uniquely confused.

And... afraid.

Sunset’s brow was knit tight like the roots of an angry tree, curved sharply down and eyes wide with rage. Her breaths came in long inhales and choked, forceful exhales, her fingers shook, wishing for something to choke to relieve this great hate.

That’s what she felt, Hate.

In this moment, there were no people she hated more than this three.

“Leave, or I will make you,”

Gone, was the righteousness in High Winds’ gaze, gone was the boldness to act on someone who seemed weak. Gone was the anger in Octavia’s eyes, choked by pain and fear. She stared at Sunset through Vinyl’s arms like a shell-shocked soldier seeing death on a pale horse. ‘Tavi stared at Orthros, at his pale, emaciated face and panicked eyes that fled from hers. The young woman winced in guilt, whispering to her friends in hushed tones.

Slowly, their group slunk out the shop. Good. Because if they didn’t leave, Sunset couldn’t make them. Orthros buried his head into her chest and his gift, her knife, dug into her inner thigh. Her hand trembled and she clung to his small frame.

No, she wouldn’t.

She wasn’t… THAT…

She wasn’t…

She wouldn’t, couldn’t. Surely they deserved something, b-but, could she?

Sunset pushed her drink towards him, he took it emptily, focused on the slowly swinging door. She thought he might’ve hoped the door would smack them on the way out, she certainly did.

“You, alright?”

Orthros chuckled in a way most familiar to her. Like the first time she’d told her friends she wasn’t ‘Anon-A-Miss’, and gotten decked in the face for the courtesy.

“Peachy”

He sounded defeated, like he’d somehow failed. In a way, she could guess what. In a house full of violent individuals, a weak person wouldn’t feel very welcome. Orthros was clearly unused to such things. He seemed innocent, to her.

Even if he held the physicality for it, she doubted he would be capable of doing what his brother did.

---

“Huh?”

“Someone attacked him!”

“Orthros?”

“YES!”

“Blood?”

“No but-”

“Screaming?”

“-not from him- but- ”

“Took ‘im to the hospital?”

“Not yet-”

“He’s fine,”

“No, he wasn’t!”

“Nah, he is”

Casual dismissal, extremely casual. Like he believed their smallest to be invincible.

“He’s not!”

Sunset grabbed Asura’s arm, loosely as her hand couldn't wrap all the way round, dragging him to the living room. Only to witness Orthros leisurely playing ‘Pillage: Light Logos’ on his phone. While upside down, calves hanging off the headrest, feet kicking up at the ceiling.

His toes taunted her.

“Oh?” he drowsily murmured, “Sup ’sura?”

“Ye scared this one,“

Orthros eyes drifted up, down? to meet Sunset’s. They traced over her knit brow, down the stress marks on her terse expression. He winced.

“That I did. Mighty sorry Miss Sunset. Was playin’ it up a bit,”

Sunset’s eyelid twitched. She pointed at the reddish-blue bruise in the center of his forehead. The blow landed high, but almost perfectly between the eyes. Just a bit lower and he'd be a goner. It was a miracle the thing hadn’t swollen worse. She remembered the raw panic in his eyes.

The shock at someone actually striking him.

“You’re hurt,”

Orthros, wasn't used to violence. That much, she was certain of.

“I been hurt worse,” the long-sleeve fell as he raised his naked arm flush into the air, fingers clenching in demonstration. Serpentine scars stretched open to the swirling of his fingers, “I might not be as good as my bros-”

Asura wheezed in the background.

“-but I ain’t no slouch neither.”

Nearby, someone was doing a fantastic impression of a bodybuilder mid-seizure.

Sunset turned head sideways, seeing Asura, both lips tightly pressed together, stomach rippling in barely concealed laughter and face slowly turning blue. He was also earthbound, and convulsing, but that was neither here nor there.

“I-is he alright?”

Orthros ticked his head, as if to say, ‘you’re asking me?’. What he actually said was,

“Yep,”

Her lips pinched to the sides, lips thinning to a deadpan line.

Fuck it.

She fell into the single-seated recliner, enjoying the embrace of it’s plush.

Orthros giggled. His eyes goaded her, ‘one of us.’

She pursed her lips, reaching down and tickled his nose. His face scrunched, legs flailed and he almost rolled off the sofa. Notably, neither hand left the sides of his phone.

“Staaaaaaph-”

Who was laughing now, you little goblin.