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The storm caught up to them when they still had about thirty minutes left to fly.
Beating his wings harder, Phil glanced over nervously at Tommy. The young man had a determined look on his face. His mouth was drawn into a thin line. Blue eyes narrowed, Tommy kept his gaze ahead. Ignored the lightning cracking the sky and thunder rocking through the air behind them. Rain spattered down on their backs, wetting their feathers.
Grimacing, Phil glanced back. Looked at the dark, charcoal gray clouds. On the bright side, they needed this storm. It would help with the crops, help water things. Niki and Wilbur would be able to spend some time outside of the water and outside of being intangible. Phil and the others could get Jack and Ranboo inside, check up on any injuries they might be hiding and get some proper food and rest into them. But Phil and Tommy were trying to get home.
“Yo, old man!” Tommy yelled back to him. Jerking his gaze forwards, Phil turned. “Floating islands! Remember to focus!” As he spoke, he sharply banked to the left. Dodged one of the islands as it launched up. One of the rocks nearly clipped its wings. Rolling to the side, he glanced back. Shot a thumbs up to Phil. Then, he darted back ahead, shooting between the islands with ease.
Phil took the islands at the same speed, but with significantly more care. As he did, he watched Tommy from the corner of his eye. Arced around one island. Ducked between the crook of two trees’ branches, folding his wings to his sides. Snapping them back out, he dropped down through the sky. Rain brushed past his cheeks. He dipped close to the ocean. Watched some of the islands rushing up to the water.
Throwing himself to the side, he allowed the tips of his feathers to brush the ocean. Water sprayed up beside him. Catching an updraft, Phil kicked himself into the sky. Glanced back as the island sprang into the sky. Ahead of him, Tommy’s wings flashed with bright white and mottled browns and creams. Grinning, Phil caught up to him. Glanced over. Quickly, he darted to the side, arced over Tommy. Their wings beat in tandem, just avoiding one another. Grinning down, Phil waited for Tommy to spot their shadows mixing.
“Come on, child!” He yelled above the wind. Shooting forwards, he rolled and flared out his wings. Feathers thrown out all the way, he flew with his back to the ocean beneath them. Grinning, he kept his eyes on Tommy. Flying like that took a bit more energy, but Phil could do it. He had plenty of experience. “You going to have fun or what?”
Tommy beamed, teeth flashing white as some more lightning cracked the sky. He laughed loudly, in a way that must have hurt his lungs. Still, he didn’t seem to care. Catching up to Phil, he arced over him. Grinned even more. Their wings brushed again. Laughing, Phil tipped himself back and then flipped again, glanced back at Tommy. There was a sharp laugh from the young man. He turned and then yelled.
Both of them shot up with the island that basically chased them into the sky. Phil glanced at Tommy. They shared a laugh. Beneath them, the ocean turned to sand and grass and then stone. Mountains crawled into the sky around them. Instead of having to dodge islands shooting up or crashing down, now they had to worry about the gravity tugging them against one another and slamming into the sides. Even worse, these were made up of mostly stone and hard rocks, versus the ocean sand and weaker gravel of the oceanic islands. Laughing, Phil glanced over to Tommy.
Lightning slashed through the air between them, blinding and hot.
Yelling, Phil backpedaled. He heard Tommy yell. Shaking his head, clawing at his eyes and the black spots dancing in his vision, Phil squinted and looked around. The rain cut through the air, splashing against his back. “Tommy!” He shouted. “Tommy!” Whirling in a tight circle, he rubbed at his burning eyes.
There was a sickening crack that cut through the rain, and Phil jerked his head to the side. He blinked furiously. In the spots of his eyes, he could see Tommy dropping through the sky. His wings were splayed out around him, his eyes were closed. Shit. Phil realized.
Dropping his wings to the side, he shot after Tommy. There was a long moment where they were both falling. Rain shot down around them. The wind yanked at Phil’s feathers, trying to rip his wings open. Reaching over, he held his arms out. Took a slow breath.
His fingers found Tommy’s shirt.
Grabbing the young man, Phil pulled him closer. Flipped them so that Tommy was held against his chest. There was blood on the side of Tommy’s head, coming from a long gash above his eye. Holding him close, Phil took a breath. This was going to be difficult.
Twisting, he got Tommy onto his back. Wrapped Tommy’s arms around his neck, grabbed Tommy’s wrists and held them there. Then, he fanned his wings out. The wind tore at the bottom of his wings. The ground rushed up to them. Tears welling up in his eyes, Phil gritted his teeth. Kept his wings fully extended, trying to slow their descent. They crossed over a meadow. Phil kicked his legs forwards as they got to the grass, boots skimming the grass. Slamming his wings forwards, knees bent, Phil skidded across the grass and into some mud. Pushed back as best as he could. Against his back, Tommy’s weight was thrown into him uncomfortably. He didn’t make any sound, though.
Finally slowing to a stop, Phil awkwardly stepped over the mud over to the grass. Tommy was still unmoving against his back. Breathing, but unconscious. “Alright, mate.” He mumbled. Quickly, he shifted Tommy over his shoulder. Settled him on the grass, moved Tommy’s head to his lap. Quickly, he got out the bandages from his inventory. Gently, he wrapped Tommy’s head. Touched his cheek and checked for fractures in his skull. There weren’t any.
A good little while passed where Phil just sat there with Tommy. Shifted Tommy’s arms onto his stomach. Felt his wings, chest, and spine for broken bones, then his arms and legs. Nothing was broken, thankfully. Just a couple bruises and slashes. “Alright, Toms. Let’s get you home.” Phil grunted, hefting Tommy into his arms with one behind Tommy’s shoulders and wings and the other beneath his knees. Fanning his wings out, he glanced around. Looked for the closest precipice. There was one, so he walked over. Tipped forwards and off of it. Fanned out his wings.
This was going to be a hard flight.
+++
When they reached the Pub, Tommy let out a pained whimper as Phil landed at the front of the house.
His eyes fluttered open, and Phil kicked open the door to their nest room. Pushing it closed with his foot, he hurried Tommy to the nest, settled him down in the clothes and then quickly went about stripping off both their shoes and grabbed some more blankets. Tommy curled up already, holding onto Wilbur’s sweater. Quickly, Phil pulled out his communicator. Flipped to Wilbur’s texts.
Phil: get over here Tommy needs physical contact
Then, he plopped down beside the kid. Yanked him close, folded a wing over him. Tommy let out a small, peeping kind of noise. A cold nose was buried in Phil’s chest and he snorted. “Hi, there, mate.” He ran a hand over wet curls, snorted again when he heard a crash outside. Wilbur had arrived, apparently. Tommy wrapped his fingers around Phil’s shirt. Pulled him closer. “Mhmm, mhmm. I know, I know. It’s alright mate.” Wilbur poked his head into the door. Quickly, Phil gestured for him to stay quiet. Nodding, Wilbur hurried over. Settled down on Tommy’s other side. There was a soft, huffing whimper. “You got some bruises mate, but you’ll be alright. We’ll get some food into you and heal you up and then we’ll go flying some other day, alright?” There was a nod into his chest. “Alright. In the meantime why don’t you get some rest, eh? Wilbur and I will be here while you sleep. We won’t leave.” Wilbur nodded, chin resting on Tommy’s shoulders.
Humming, Tommy closed his eyes. Settled into Phil and let out a shaky little breath. Wilbur and Phil shared a glance, and Phil smiled lightly at him. Returning it, Wilbur pressed a kiss to the top of Tommy’s head, and Phil rubbed Tommy’s shoulders.
Outside, the rain pattered down gently.