Chapter Text
The Recluse had grown accustomed to the Sage's usual routine. He would come to the Peak once a week, usually on Thursdays, and pester the Recluse until they had tea together.
... Well.. Hardly "together", Recluses definition of together is more akin to that of two strangers in an empty diner, choosing to sit as far away from the Sage as he could.
It was around 10pm when the Recluse felt a wave of sudden exhaustion hit him. He couldn't put his finger on what day it was, but that wasn't at the forefront if his mind at the moment. Instead, he was occupied with the immense feeling of tiredness accompanied by a migraine overwhelming his senses.
In a daze, he slowly removed his heavy outer robes in favor of his thinner under robes. As he stumbled onto the couch in his living room, he plopped himself down with an exasperated sigh and leaned back into the soft cushions. To his dismay, he felt a sudden, sharp pain in his back.
Ignoring his own discomfort, he decided it was best for him to lie down and try to clear his head. He didn't seem to be too bothered by the sudden wave of cold that hit him like a sugar brick coming from an open window nearby, as he almost immediately fell into a deep sleep.
--
The Sage burst through the Recluses door after a few short knocks, only to be greeted with silence. Usually he would smell tea, or the rare greeting from the hermit himself. However on this particular day, he couldn't make out any sign his Recluse was even home.
As Sage walked into the kitchen, he noticed a pale of water almost empty on the counter, along with two cups and a small pot on the cold stovetop.
“Interesting…” He thought out loud.
Moving onto the living room, he laid eyes first on the Recluses ornate robes draped lazily on an armchair, before abruptly stopping in his tracks when he saw the Recluse lying on the sofa beside them.
He had an almost peaceful look on his face, although it was contorted into a slight scowel. Small beads of sweat dotting his brow. He seemed to be in a deep slumber, although his body was rather tense and rigid. Maybe he was having a bad dream.
Sages train of thought was ground to a hault as the Recluse stirred slightly, turning over onto his side.
.
.
.
What
.
.
.
On
.
.
.
Earthbread
.
.
.
The Sages attention was drawn to the hermits back, where there were two large slits in his robes. Poking out of them were small, bandaged nubs, for a lack of better words.
Although the sage couldn't quite tell what these protrusions were, he quickly picked up on context clues. There were a handful of small, pristine, though dirty, feathers dotting the Recluses back around the nubs. Not to mention the large scars running half way down the others back.
Sages observations brought him to only one conclusion.
Wings.
Although he himself had a pair of well preened wings, he had absolutely no idea the Recluse shared this trait.. or… at least did…
The Sages dissecting of the, now much more mysterious, Recluse in front of him was stopped when the cookie suddenly shot up from his resting place with a yelp.
The Recluse seemed not to have noticed Sage, as he had yet to make some snarky remark about him being late.
The silence was interrupted by a quiet sound leading back to Recluse.
… Sobbing. Quiet, but full of pain and... Was that.. fear..?
Sage didnt know how to react as the Recluse curled into himself, knees to his chest, as his breathing began to quicken. His small, slender frame shaken by a sob.
So, he did the only thing he could think of.
"Recluse..?"
The hermit's head shot up, tears still streaming from his heterochromic eyes as he registered there was a presence standing before him.
"are you.. alright..?"
Recluse, unable to process what was happening through his panic and sheer terror, started to back as far away from Sage as he could, until his back hit the far end of his oversized sofa. The action causing him to let out a small, pained noise. He then dropped to the floor and began trying to hide himself.
Sage, still not sure what was happening, rushed to the Recluses side, his arms hovering above him in a placating manner. This only caused Recluse to panic more, curling into himself in the corner with his hands covering his head and his legs pulled tightly to the side.
He could finally make out some of what Recluse was mumbling about. He was repeating a phrase, broken up by the sobs that wracked his whole body as he trembled.
"..please.. i-i'm sorry.. i didn't... i didn't mean to.."
He was pleading.
"I'll.. i'll be good.. i-i promise..i … please.."
He was starting to sound more desperate. His shaking was getting worse as his body tensed each time he spoke.
“... I don't.. I don't wanna go… back to- to him… please.. I'm sorry…”
The Sage still wasn't quite sure what was happening. Only a moment ago Recluse had been asleep on the couch, yet now he was cowering in the corner hiding his face.
Unable to think of anything else, Sage materialised a blanket from his other realm and slowly crouched down to the hermits level. He was still mumbling unwarranted apologies that didn't make sense to the Sage. Recluse pushed himself impossibly further into the wall when Sage got closer. As the Sage unfurled the blanket and set it on Recluse, he let out a terrified little yelp.
Sage tried not to startle the sobbing cookie, however he was never good at comforting others. Even with his seemingly endless knowledge, there were some things that he couldn't immediately find the solution to.
This was certainly one of them.
In the calmest manner he could muster, he carefully raised his arms, albeit hardly higher than they were before, in an attempt to console Recluse.
Although he still tensed at the motion, he seemed to no longer be mumbling, now just quietly sobbing with the occasional nonsensical whisper.
Sage set his arms carefully around the trembling cookie, wrapping one wing behind Recluses back while tucking the other behind himself. He seemed to relax, just a little. His breathing became slower and his arms, previously raised to shelter his head, now rested half way to his face. Sage took this as an improvement. He carefully guided the hermits head onto his own chest.
"Breathe with me.."
"I'm.. I'm sorry.. please..."
"Shhh, it's alright, just breathe."
Now finally aware of his surroundings, including the comforting arms holding him and the tears running down his own face, Recluse realized he wasn't wearing his outer robes.
--
He saw them.
He probably thinks you're disgusting.
A filthy animal, meant to be caged.
He's going to send you back.
Back to him.
--
"...-cluse? Are you there?"
A sudden jolt from the cookie he was holding answered his question. Recluse's breathing quickened again. He was still in the corner, although now he was peeking through his arms at the Sage.
Terror. It was the only emotion Sage could make out in his fuzzy eyes. He was about to try and move closer to the cookie before him when-
"..STOP!.."
... what..?
"IM SORRY PLEASE! I DIDNT MEAN TO I-I SWEAR.! PLEASE..! please... don't.. don't send me ba-ck..."
His voice was hoarse, and much louder than he intended.
He knew what came next.
It was beaten into him. Literally.
He turned so his back was facing the Sage, bracing for an impact that he knew would come eventually.
"Recluse.."
His whole body went stiff. All that he responded with was a pained yelp followed by a softer whimper as he turned slightly back.
"It's okay. I'm not gonna... hurt.. you. You're alright. I'm not.. I'm not gonna send you somewhere..."
Sage still couldn't decipher what that meant, but he knew it couldn't be good.
Recluse cracked one eye open, watching Sage as he closed the small distance between the two. Recluse squeezed his eyes shut again, still ready for whatever his punishment was going to be this time.
However, he was startled to feel the Sage moving him. He was being picked up off the floor in a bridal carry, although the elegance was lost as Recluse stayed rigid and still the whole time, covering his face while trying to assess where he was being taken.
Sage was surprised at the hermit's weight. He was so light it seemed like the heaviest part of him were his robes. He silently took note.