Still Alive | Fourth Wing/The Originals [1]

𝙲𝚑𝚊𝚙𝚝𝚎𝚛 𝚂𝚎𝚟𝚎𝚗: 𝚄𝚗𝚍𝚎𝚛 𝚃𝚑𝚎 𝙼𝚘𝚘𝚗𝚕𝚒𝚐𝚑𝚝

𝚄𝚗𝚍𝚎𝚛 𝚃𝚑𝚎 𝙼𝚘𝚘𝚗𝚕𝚒𝚐𝚑𝚝

   Hope had been awoken so abruptly and had been shoved into a dark cloak. She wasn't at all prepared for this. Being taken into some random place near a tree. Shoving off the hood of her cloak once reaching the destination she glares at the one that had taken her out of her own bed. "Seriously..." Looking underneath the man's cloak she could easily recognize him and instantly knew. Cousins. "Bodhi." She growls out.

   Bodhi gives her a soft smile, "Sorry, little wolf, Xaden summoned your presence."

   Rolling her eyes, she shoots Xaden a look. But he waves her off, speaking up towards everyone, "We've already lost Sutherland and Luperco."

   Pressing a hand under her jaw she cracks her neck as the words of Imogen fill her ears, "Like it or not, we're going to have to stick together if you want to survive until graduation." Stiffening, Hope had beat the shit out of her.

   "And if they find out we're meeting?" A first-year asks, panicky.

    Xaden responds, "We've done this for two years and they've never found out." Folding his arms over his chest.

   "They're not going to unless one of you tells. And if you tell, I'll know," Garrick says.

   "Like Garrick said, we've already lost two first-years to their own negligence. There are only forty-two of us in the Riders Quadrant, and we don't want to lose any of you, but we will if you don't help yourself. The odds are always stacked against us, and trust me, every other Navarrian in the quadrant will look for reasons to call you a traitor or force you to fail." A mutter ascends. "How many of you are getting your asses handed to you in hand-to-hand?" He then asks.

   Four hands shoot in the air. Hope and Liam remain unmoving. "Shit," Xaden swears.

   Garrick sighs, "I'll teach them"

    Xaden shakes his head, "You're our best fighter—"

    "You're our best fighter," Bodhi counters with a quick grin.

    Imogen snarks, "Dirtiest fighter, maybe."

    Then Garrick adds, "Fucking ruthless is more like it."

    "Garrick is our best fighter, but Imogen is right up there with him, and she's a hell of a lot more patient," Xaden notes. "So the four of you split yourselves up between the two of them for training. A group of three won't draw any unwanted attention. What else is giving you trouble?"

    "I can't do this," a first-year besides hope says, rolling his shoulders inward.

   "What do you mean?"

    "I can't do this! The death. The fighting. Any of it!" His voice rises with each and every statement as fear fills him. The one other thing that'll get you killed here. Fear. "A guy had his neck snapped right in front of me on assessment day! I want to go home! Can you help me with that?"

    Every head swings towards the wingleader. "No." He shrugs. "You're not going to make it. Best accept it now and not take up more of my time."

    "That was a little harsh, cousin," Bodhi comments.

    Hope hums out, "That's Xaden for you."

    Xaden says, lifting his eyebrows, "What do you want me to say, Bodhi?" Cocking his head to the side, voice calm and even, "I can't save everyone, especially not someone who isn't willing to work to save themselves."