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Freminet grasped the swaying seaweed, using it to propel himself further up, dappled sunlight streaming through the water, dancing over his skin and warming his bones. The cool, sweet waters of Fontaine’s sea always soothed his growing pains, cooling itching skin and coaxing pain loose from his muscles. It also helped that the deeper he dived, the darker the waters, easing the strain his eyes suffered. He knew it worried his siblings, Lynette and Lyney desperately, quietly, begging to come along, but they reveled in the spotlight, basking in the glow of lights and magic and attention, while he preferred the suffocating, crushing embrace of dark, rushing water.
But like all things, it must come to an end. As much as he wished, as much as he desired, he could never stay under the waves forever. He had duties, responsibility. Father expected many great things from him, and he would never let her down.
He ran careful, searching fingers across the stone of a seaside dropoff, nails catching in little cracks to pull himself from the waters embrace. It held tight to him, a second skin, and embrace he reluctantly divested himself of, for the waters were his blood, but the land was his duty.
With a determined huff, he pulled himself up, head peeking over the grassy lip – a mistake , the ocean called, come back , droplets raced down his spine, ice following, return, little ocean child – A hilichurl bellowed, hot globs of fire singing the grass inches from his nose, and Freminet yelped.
He ducked as the creature raced towards him, and in the distance, he could see more , all alert, all armed. Why were they so close to Fontaine? Hilichurls never set up camp here! Unless… He risked a peak over his shoulder, limbs straining with the exertion, and oh he was in trouble , the city shouldn't be that far ! So maybe he should have let the Twins come along, and brought his claymore, and told someone where he was going.
He was, for all intents and purposes, and in the rudest way possible, Completely Fucked .
“Pers!” , he shifted, wincing as his nails splintered, watery pink dribbles slipping between his fingers as he reached for the Automaton secured to his belt, “I need you!” , He hurled the penguin into the air, watching, horrified as the countdown started, and the Hilichurls took notice of the bomb aimed at them. His grip was slipping from the stone, two hilichurls aiming down at him, fire growing bright at the tips of their crossbows as Pers ticked away, rolling in the grass, cold, icy air slowly escaping him.
Freminet squeezed his eyes closed, tucking close to the earth as the fire grew hotter. He considered dropping back down into the churning waters below, but at this height, at this proximity, he'd never hit the water before they fired. His only hope was the cryo seconds from bursting.
A scream, fire and wind and dark, deadly ice crashed overhead as Pers exploded , cold razorshard’s etching into his skin as he shook. The Hilichurls roared, one turning from him, crossbow raised, while the second fired, heat licking at his skin. And then that inky ice shot from the ground, engulfing the duo, both frozen solid along with their deadly bolts.
And he was left falling, strength finally giving way as air rushed past him, ripping at his skin, tugging on his hair as he squeezed his eyes closed.
“Freminet!” , an iron grip latched around his arm, snatching him from open air, up into strong, warm arms as he shook, fighting tears as the cacophony of ice shattering filled his ears. “It's alright now, I have you”
He blinked back the tears threatening his eyes, staring up at the man who had pulled him up, stealing him from the ocean. The Captain held him tightly, one arm under his knees as he peered over the man's shoulder, at Lyney racing towards them, and Lynette pulling her sword from a Mitachurl with a wet shuck .
“Freminet!” , Lyney wasted no time, practically flying into the Captains arm to smother his brother in a suffocating hug. “You can't do that! I’m never letting you go diving by yourself again !” , The Captain shifted them both, securely holding them as he turned from the cliff, “If you leave your Claymore behind one more time ! I'm going to tie a very loud bell to you so you can't sneak out!”, From Lyneys arms, he met Lynette's eyes, pleading for help as she scooped up Pers, and the few bolts that had snapped off in his hastily throw, “I’m telling Father! And she’ll order you to stay inside forever !”
The Captain , very politely, hid his laugh under the guise of clearing his throat as he crouched, his grip on the boys tightening momentarily as Lynette clambered up onto his shoulders, shifting to rest her head over her arms, crossed atop the Captain’s helmet. “Perhaps we could, ah…lessen some of the danger when we tell your Father? She may actually kill me if she finds out how much danger you were in”
“ Absolutely not! ” , Lyney scowled, releasing his brother to jab a finger into the man’s face. ”I’m telling Father everything!”
Above them, Lynette scoffed, batting her brothers hand away, “Don’t be a snitch ” , she chided in a sing-song voice, “ We’ll just tell her Freminet fell of a cliff”
The Captain hung his head, shoulder slumped as he sighed, “That may be worse than the truth”
“No way!” , Lyney chirped, “I fall off cliffs all the time”
“Yeah ‘cause you’re an idiot” , Lynette pushed her brother's head away, throwing his balance off as Capitano tightened his hold on the child, “I told you, I have better reflexes!”
“Nuh uh!”
“Yeah huh!”
“Freminet?” , the boy lifted his head from where it had settled against his sister's leg, arm’s loosely draped over the Captain’s shoulder, “Are you alright?” . He nodded, shifting in the man’s arm as his siblings continued to argue. He was content with this, the Captain's steady steps rocking him, much like when he was a baby, warm in his cradle, back when ‘Mother’ ruled. He did not miss those days, all those years ago when he was only just learning his place in this world; They were full of pain, heartache and cruelty hidden behind the mirage of love. Bach then, when the House had been cold and every surface tainted with the ghosts of blood and death, back before Lyney and Lynette and Father. Back when he would spend days adrift in the sea, and his absence was never noticed.
Now, in the First Harbingers arms, with his brother and sister bickering, he found the House had become a Home.
“Sleep, Little Rybka ” , The Captain shifted his hold, and he clutched the Harbingers coat tightly, head buried in the fur, “We’ll be home soon”
𓆝 𓆟 𓆞 𓆝 𓆟
When the Captain returned to the front steps of the House of the Hearth, it was with three children fast asleep atop him, and a particularly angry Arlecchino behind the door, tapping her heels. “What happened?”
The Captain shifted his hold of the kids, mindful of Lynette’s arm draped worryingly between the prongs of his helmet. “May I come in first?” , The Knave stepped aside, and he broached the entrance, making a hastily beeline for the sitting room. “Firstly, none of them got hurt”
“Your off to a terrible start” , she reached up to untangle Lynette from his shoulders, gently laying her on one of the plush couches along with her brothers, a blanket draped over all three.