Chapter Text
CRASH!
Dust a debris flew as the two bodies hit the ground.
A low growl reverberated around the grounds as only one got back up.
In all it's time existing the wolf had never felt pain like this before, it had never truly gotten hurt, always brushing off injuries or simply being to viscous to hurt, but now it was faced with true pain.
It growled again, shaking itself out before sniffing the air. There was only one thing for it to do, one thing it needed to do, and there was the scent of fresh blood on the air.
Turning to follow the scent he found a body, blood trickling from a cut in it's forehead and defenseless.
It was an easy meal.
As the wolf stalked forward something sharp poked at it's paws, but it kept on, undeterred by the feeling, and motivated only be the easy, fresh meal in front of it.
Reaching the body, it raised its claws, the meal was still breathing even if it was weak, he couldn't have that, he needed to make sure his meal wouldn't run.
His claws came down across the throat.
The blood dripped from the wound, and the slight movement stopped.
Licking it's lips the wolf began to feast.
The sickening crunch of bones was all it could hear as he tore into his meal, he was so hungry.
The tearing sinew, the ripping of the skin and the taste of flesh and fresh blood on its tongue, oh how it was divine.
As it filled his stomach, he only wanted more.
A small tug on the end of its tail drew his attention away from the delicious meal.
Behind him was a tiny bird, clade in silver armour, his tail in its beak, the pitiful creature pulled with all it's might.
He growled only for it to be met with a with a weak, but angry, caw.
This action stunned the wolf, somehow this tiny creature wasn't scared of it, in fact it met his mean look with one of its own, he growled at it again just for the bird to give a sharp peak to one of his paws.
"Rawk, Nevermore!"
The wolf reared back, still staring at the crow, at Poe, missing a leg and weak but still full of anger and the need to protect his human, to Protect Edgar.
He shook his head as a pounding began to build behind its eyes.
He had tried to protect Edgar from the fall, right, because there was a monster they had to fight, it had nurse Lenny, and Roland and Kevin where fighting it alone.
Monty felt himself coming back, body shrinking down, fur vanishing and head clearing as the feeling of over whelming hunger left him and was replaced by the deep seed need to protect his friends and his new family.
There was still a ringing in his ears as his claws retracted, he could still taste blood on tongue, and in the back of his mind there was still something urging him to feed.
"Poe, you're okay," He rasped, voice rough after the transformation, Poe gave affirmative caw before hoping past Monty, who turned to follow the crow only to freeze at the, unfortunately, familiar sight before him.
Edgar laid there motionless covered in blood, his glasses lay broken just beside him.
Monty carefully picked up the cracked glasses and approached, praying that it didn't happen again, he couldn't have lost control, he can't have hurt anyone loved.
The all too familiar taste of iron sat heavy on his tongue, stronger then ever before after a transformation.
"Edgar?" Monty leaned down placing a hand on the others shoulder, Nothing, no motion, not even a groan. "Edgar please be okay,"
He leaned down to try and hear anything, a heartbeat, a rise and fall of his chest, something to prove that Edgar would be okay.
And was faced with the terrifying reality that Edgars chest was torn open.
There couldn't be a steady thump of a working heart, not when it was missing, no way his lungs could expand or contract when they were torn in half.
Monty's breathing began to pick up as his heart began to race.
He wanted to look away, but he couldn't move, his limbs refused to cooperate, keeping him locked, staring, looking past the blood to see, oh god.
His stomach rolled as he took in the way Edgars ribs stuck up past the skin, how the blood coated his friend slowly dripping onto the dirt below.
Monty's hands began to shake breathing picking up more, it felt like his lungs burned with every rapid breath in, his mind whirled, thoughts moving to fast for him to catch any of them.
Then, all at once, he began to move, he had to stop the bleeding, he couldn't just sit there and do nothing.
He cried out desperately as he tore his shirt off and pressed it to Edgars chest, praying that it would be enough until Roland or Nurse Lenny could help, they would be able to help and Edgar would be okay, he had to be okay
As if his prayers where answered, Monty heard footsteps approaching, even with potential help arriving, his focus remained on Edgar.
"Monty what happened?" Someone asked, he wasn't sure who, it didn't matter.
"It's Edgar, he, we fell out the window, he needs help," The footstep grew closer, before they stopped and were replaced by gasp, Monty thought he heard someone dry heaving.
What were they doing? couldn't they see that Edgar needed help now? Now wasn't the time to mess around.
"You help him!" Monty shouted at his fellow first years, pressing his shirt harder to the gaping wound in Edgars chest.
He watched through tears as the others remained frozen, a few were even turned away, unable to look at the sight in front of them.
"Please somebody!"
He felt like he was back in the dinning room that fateful Christmas, covered in blood, clutching the still hand of his mother and begging someone, anyone to help.
But no came that day, there was no one around to hear the begging of a child for someone to save his family.
There were people here, now, and yet his begging went ignored.
A flicker of movement in the corner of his eye caught Monty's attention, turning to face it fully he saw Roland, Kevin, Nurse Lenny, Mr Hink's and Hexmaster Singh emerge from a shadow.
A new sort of vigor went through him, as the prospect of help seemed closer then ever before.
"Roland!" He called out tears in his eyes and blood covering his face, "Quick he needs healing!"
Roland ran over as fast as he could hands lighting up as he placed them on Edgar, pushing the light into his body, praying silently to the lord as he did so.
"I didn't mean to, I didn't mean to hurt him," The tears begun to fall again as he tried to keep pressure on the wound that was slowly knitting itself back together.
"We know Monty," Kevin said, settling beside him, a gentle hand rubbing up and down his back, keeping his focus on his Monty and not the mangled body in front of him. "Its not your fault,"
Monty fell into Kevin, stopping his efforts to grip on to the other, sobbing as Roland kept trying to heal Edgar with no success.
"Just a bit more," Roland muttered hands glowing brighter, "he has to be okay, right? He has to be, come on Edgar,"
So focused on the task at hand none of the boys heard the Hexmaster approach.
Monty's face stayed buried in Kevin's chest, who had a death grip on him, running his hand up and down the others back, whispering repeated assurances, it was unclear if he was trying to reassure Monty or himself
Roland's hands were still pressed to Edgars body, glowing brighter and brighter as the tears fell, even after the wound had been fully healed, he didn't stop, his prayer and desperate plea for the lord to save Edgar was only growing louder with every moment he didn't wake.
"Boys, there's nothing you can do," The Hexmaster said, voice gentle, as he placed a hand on Roland's should and gently urged him away from the body.
"No, I have to heal him, he has to be okay," Roland leaned forward again hands already lighting up once more to begin his healing.
"Roland, you've done all you can, all you're doing is exhausting yourself," As if to prove him right the light in Roland's hands stuttered.
"But-"
"You three need rest its been- a long day for everyone," The Hexmaster gave the three of them a stern but gentle look.
"Edgar needs to rest too," Kevin piped up, he seemed almost detached from the situation.
Singh sighed, stooping down to gently pick the limp body of Edgar up.
"Yes, I'll take, Mr-" He cut himself off, taking a deep and shaky breath in, Monty noted that his grip on Edgar seemed to tighten just a bit.
"I'll take Mr Allan to the infirmary, we can look into methods of resurrection," The Hexmaster's gaze met Monty's, eyes still shiny with tears but beneath there was the smallest glimmer of hope.
"We can bring him back?" He asked voice hoarse from the crying.
"I can only promises that we will try our best, and do everything in our power to bring him back, you have my word Monty,"
A weak, but determined, CAW brought everyone's attention to the injured crow, who had settled himself on top of Kevin's head.
"Poe, do you want to go with the Hexmaster?" Roland asked the bird.
"Nevermore," Poe settled himself more into Kevin's hair beady eyes remaining locked on Edgar.
"No?" Kevin asked reaching up to the bird only for it to bit his finger.
"OW!" He cried shaking his hand, Poe only settled himself more into his hair.
"Right, I'll take you three back to the main building, and I hope from there you'll head straight back to your dorms, you all need the rest."
"Can we go back to our dorms or are we still in detention?" Roland asked, helping Monty up and letting the taller lean on him for support.
"Right, that" Singh made a few gestures with his hand as best as he could while holding Edgar, shadows crawled over the school crest on the boys blazers, retreating almost as soon as they got there taking the chains with them, "You're no longer in detention, you'll be free to go back to you're regular dorms."
He then turned and begun walking back to the school, looking over his shoulder once to confirm that the boys where following, after a moment of gathering themselves, the three boys began to follow their Hexmaster.
Ranjit was silent as he placed the still body of Edgar Allan down on one of the cots in the infirmary, it would be a temporary space for him, but currently it was the closest place he could put the boy.
Pulling a chair close he sat down with a heavy sigh, the weight of the days events finally caught up to him, making him feel much older then he was.
God he needed a smoke.
Everything felt as if it had happened in a flash, from the ambush on him last night in the Plaguround, to chasing that bird fear pumping through him at the thought of losing Morty to it.
Hearing the bell ring with a bright flash of light and realizing they had been played, grabbing Mathew and taking him to the bell tower, the horror and relief at finding out that the creature had been defeated by 4 first years.
Then, then the dread of finding Monty crying over a broken and bloodied Edgar.
In his years of being the Hexmaster he had seen many gruesome and terrible sights, but none had burned a permanent place in his mind quite like seeing the child of his ex in the state he was.
Edgar looked so much like Elliot, and- Oh god.
Elliot had entrusted him to take care of his kid, he was meant to help the boy grow and learn to control his curse, and instead Ranjit had sent him to his death.
A hundred different scenarios ran through his head, what if he had listened to the boys? what if he had gotten there earlier?
So many what ifs ran rampant in his mind, but they didn't matter, what mattered is that he had a dead kid to try and bring back and a parent to inform of what had happened to their child.