Chapter Text
Traveler had made himself a small spot off to the side of their camp, leaning up against a tree as he thought. He wasn't going to just leave, not after that. He needed to know what happened, why Dice was affected that way.. why he only got flashes of memory. He came so far for the truth, he wasn't going to just leave. Besides, the girl was clearly sick now. He didn't know how bad it was or how long it was going to last, so he wanted to make sure she was alright..
How strange that a Fate could be wounded in such a way.. it made him wonder if they were even anything more than just mortals, like him.. but anytime that thought came he'd remind himself of what he had seen the girl do before her magic had gotten severed from him. The gold glow, the symbols that were her eyes.. The feeling that coursed through him like ice cold fire, the one bit of memory ringing in the edges of his ears… that was real.
That was power .
He glanced over at the other side of this strange camp, at the two figures near a third, prone one. Speaking to each other in hushed voices. At this point the poor girls gagging and coughing had stopped, but he could see the form of her shaking slightly in her half conscious state. Occasionally Cards would crouch down and check her eyes, pet her hair back and say something in that same language he didn't know.. He hoped she'd be alright, after all, she was able to pry a memory from him, something many magics had failed to do in the past..
The old dry oaks that loomed above them began to creek with the wind of the witching hour, the mist that floated on this forest floor rose a little as the cold midnight hours crept over. Traveler sighed, the breath leaving his mouth in a cloud of fog, blending with the air around him and fading off into nothing. He closed his eyes and leaned his head against the tree he had his back too, trying to let his ears pick up on the conversation of the other two…
"Pendulum is she okay..?"
"She's fine Cards, stop your pacing, she just got a bit spooked."
"She got scared and it made her throw up blood and black goop all over the place?? Yeah, sure."
"We don't know what curse that poor boy has, it's a powerful one to be sure. She was doing what we were saved for. Finding and telling the truth. Sometimes it's harder than other times.."
"I don't trust him! You saw how that affected her! I've not seen her shake like that in Melania! He's probably here to try and take her luck, the luck of the dice is powerful."
"You know that's not true, the poor lad was just as shocked as we were."
"But does he have to stay in our camp??"
"Yes. Until we know what happened and why, he cannot leave, lest there be lasting effects on Vi- Dice.."
Traveler didn't open his eyes, but he could feel the oldest staring at him, watching him carefully to see if he was listening. He kept his face stoic and natural, hoping she would let it pass.. But deep down he knew better, much like Dice, the eyes of fate can see through everything…
"We will have this conversation later.. Keep close to her, I'll make dinner."
"... Okay.."
The tallest Fate knelt back down by the smaller one and placed two of their long spindly fingers up against the corner of her neck, checking her heartbeat, which was normal.. if not a little fast..
Their hand pulled back carefully, and moved, knuckles pressing gently against her forehead. No fever.. a bit of cold sweat had pooled up on her brow. They wiped it away gently and sighed.
"Vi..? Can you hear me at all..?"
They spoke to her, this time in that strange language… They listened, a faint whimper came from the youngest fate as she nodded. They sighed in relief..
"Where does it hurt..? can you tell me somehow..?"
Her arm moved, very weakly, shaking as it did, and gripped onto the front of her sweater.
"Your chest hurts..? is it tightness..? or an ache..?"
She opened her mouth to answer, but her eyes went wide and she coughed again, rolling herself over and hacking up onto the ground besides her- more thick viscous blood.. black ickier.. Cards grimaced as she fell back down against her makeshift bed with a thud.
".. What is that shit..?"
They mumbled to themselves. One hand rubbing Dices back gently, the other hesitantly reached out, and.. touched it.. They bit back a gag as the texture met their fingertips. Thick like slime, but the tang of metal and blood that rubbed between their fingers, the thickness of it making them pull back and take a few breaths to gain their composure.. Once they had it, they pulled their arm back to look at the black substance that mixed with the blood closer..
They expected something magic, some sort of curse or hex that caused the color to change. They were shocked to say the least, when upon closer inspection.. The black substance was nothing more than ash. Charcoal specifically. Remnants of burnt wood, black and chalky between their fingers.
"What the hell.."
They leaned back down over their sister as they cleaned their hand off on their sweater.
"Vi you need to get all this stuff out of you.. just try and get it out of your system, I'll be right here okay..?"
She gave a small whimper in response, she almost sounded scared.. this was so out of character for the girl.. it was throwing Cards off wildly.
"Hey don't be scared- It's okay you're with me, you're with ReyRey it's okay.. I'm not going to let you get hurt.. its okay…"
They took a soft deep breath in and out, trying to appear calm. Comfort was never something they were particularly skilled at, protection was.. They just hoped the two could bleed into each other enough to help..
They placed their now clean enough hand against the side of Dice's face, their fingers and hand so large that their ring and pinky finger pressed against her neck, their thumb almost covering her eye..
"I promise you, I'm not going anywhere. It's going to be okay.."
….
…
..
Slowly, Her shaking stilled, it was not a sudden change as her body calmed the fear that welled in her core. But something about those words seemed to cut through the layer of illusion her mind was placing on itself, and she sighed in relief.. So did Cards.
"There we go.. Easy.. It's going to be okay.."
Traveler, though he could not understand what the tall Fate was saying, felt like he understood the situation well enough. He watched from afar as this massive, lanky being, moved down into a proper sitting position to care for the girl beside them. Traveler felt an off pang in his chest, a strange feeling... one he wasn't used to at all.. what was it… Nostalgia..? Familiarity..? something about this situation felt.. Familiar.. it was uncanny..
He sat, and watched in silence. Only snapped back to reality when the third fate handed him something. He looked up only to see a wooden bowl of some sort of delicious smelling soup.. The broth looked creamy and thick, it smelt savory and warm.. He took it quietly.
".. Thank you…"
"You're welcome dear, eat up alright? You must not be feeling too well either."
She hummed and reached up, patting his head, his hair squished and fell into his face with a few loose strands. She pulled back, he swore her eyes lingered on him for a few moments longer, observing in some sort of.. Confusion.. or.. curiosity.. Before shaking her head to herself and walking over to feed the other two. The many charms and gems ringing together as she walked..
He looked down at the bowl in his hands, a wooden spoon sat at the side of it.. He just stared for a few moments, picking up the spoon and smelling the food again, before taking a bite.
To say it was delicious would be an understatement, it was rich and fresh, cheesy and savory, he tasted potato and leek, salt and pepper, garlic, onion. He practically melted back against the tree he was against.
'Holy shit that's good..'
Once he had recovered from that first bite, he practically dove into his food. He hadn't eaten in a few days and he was hungry , every speck was licked clean from his bowl, as he felt it get taken from his hands, before quickly being placed back with a second helping inside. He heard Pendulum chuckle as she walked back over to the other two.
Cards had set their bowl to the side, and was putting their full focus into supporting dice to feed her..
"Come on.. you got it.. You have to eat okay? You're losing a lot of liquid with all that sweat and.. vomit.."
The girl simply groaned and turned her head away, not having the stomach for anything right now.. Cards huffed in frustration. And very sternly, in that lost language.
"Vi, eat it before I force feed you."
She groaned again, this time it sounded less like a reaction to food, and more like being annoyed with an older sibling. As she turned her head back and opened her mouth a little.
Pendulum sighed as she watched Cards feed her,
"You need to eat too."
"In a minute.."
"She'll be alright, You have to have dinner as well. I appreciate you trying so hard to care for her, and I'm sure she does too, but you will eat the dinner I made you young one."
Pendulum's voice was stern, her jewel covered hands rested on her hips. Cards looked up at her as they cleaned up any runoff from the soup that they had been feeding their sister. They let out a groan very similar to the youngest's, annoyed with a family member.
"Fine.."
They moved, gently setting down Dice before turning and picking up their bowl, eating it begrudgingly. But slowly, their annoyance shifted to a stubborn, soft expression.
".... This is delicious.."
Pendulum hummed,
"Yes, I know."
"... Thank you for dinner.."
She grinned a bit wider,
"Thank you for deciding to eat it."
They let out a huff of a childish frustration that made Pendulum laugh a bit.
"You're an adult don't go throwin' a fit."
"I'm not.. just.. You eat dinner."
They said stubbornly, Pendulum just hummed again and picked up her bowl, sitting down beside the other two as she ate, keeping an eye on all three people in the clearing…
Traveler finished his second bowl and let out a content sigh. He'd not eaten a good meal like that in a while… He closed his eyes and leaned his head back again the tree.
'What is so familiar about this place..'
He thought to himself. The leaves beneath him felt oddly soft for what they were.. No pebbles or loose sticks, it was oddly comfortable.. A few meters away he heard the sound of Pendulum singing softly to herself as she put away things and stoked the fire…
his eyes felt heavy, his body oddly worn, the days of traveling finally catching up, his bones ached for sleep, so did his mind.. He sighed. A little rest wouldn't hurt…
He felt himself begin to doze off..
and then.. he began to dream..