Tortoise and Fox [BL]

3.11

"He wanted it all with Aisultan. He wanted everything."

The doors shut behind Aisultan, water trailing behind as his waterlogged clothes dripped. The rain became muffled, but the sharp thrash of thunder caused Aisultan to flinch, hissing under his breath.

His head pounded with every step, gait unsteady as he stumbled through the common room. Aisultan's limbs were heavy and Elijah was worryingly cold in his arms. A blue-gray pallor stained his skin.

The fireplace burned strong. The large tortoise poked its head out of its shell. Dark beady eyes widened, slowly following Aisultan's movements as he placed Elijah down into the blankets beside the tortoise. The tortoise stared at Elijah's cracked wounds, before moving back to the cuts and bruises scattered across Aisultan's body and face. His clothes were completely soaked and torn through; leaves, grass, and dirt splattered all over in his haste.

Thunder crashed. Aisultan clutched his pointed ears, wincing. In an instant, he transformed. A fox the size of a tiger appeared in his stead. Nine tails spread out, dripping from the water. The fox shook its coat, before limping over. It curled up, blanketing Elijah and the tortoise.

Lightning flashed and splayed across the walls in sharp whites; thunder followed. A weak whine lulled. The fox huddled tight, as the pain forced it into a cycle of unrestful sleep with sharp, jerking pains awake.

***

The moment Eli awoke, he felt the searing sensation etched into his arm. He grunted, sitting up against the fluffy fur—he felt the slow shifting of fur behind him. The rain outside had only waned as Eli slowly acclimated to the aching throughout his body.

"Aisultan," Eli whispered.

No response.

He craned his neck out to search for the pointed muzzle amongst snowy fur, only to realize it rested at his feet. The pointed ears flicked accordingly, spastic to noises Eli knew only Aisultan could hear—the noises he saw torturing the fox spirit throughout the night. Aisultan was in so much pain, seized by the thunder even as the storm traveled far from this manor.

It made something within Eli ache, more deeply than the remaining acidic burn of holy water beneath his skin. He wanted to make it better, just a little, anything to help ease the pain for him. Eli tentatively reached out a hand, before stopping, hovering above the fox's head.

He didn't want to cause...anymore suffering for this fox spirit. If he hadn't insisted Aisultan stay, then maybe Aisultan wouldn't be here, experiencing the consequences of this storm. He likely knew how bad storms conjured in this area too—especially now knowing Aisultan traveled here in the past.

Eli leaned against the warm torso of the fox, feeling its steady thrum press back. Fur brushed the back of his neck. He could feel his arm screaming, pounding with pain. Eli was all too familiar with the effects of holy water. These wounds that would have healed in seconds now would take hours longer.

A tail swung slightly, covering his lap. Eli looked over—the fox was still fast asleep. Hesitantly, he set his hands down atop the downy fur. His eyes found themselves pulled into an exhaustive rest.

***

A fierce headache brought Eli from his unconscious. He pushed himself up with a pained noise. A tantalizing smell wafted over him. Every cell in his body clamored—to seek out the source and sink his fangs deep into it. The scent was sweet, syrupy, and overwhelmingly tempting.

"Elijah? No, it is Eli—you're awake. How do you feel?"

"Thirsty," he blurted, turning to see Aisultan enter from the hall. The distinct scent of light soap carried itself; Eli could barely focus on it. Aisultan's hair ran through his fingers, darkened with dampness. It stuck back with the exception of a few strands framing his face. Drops of water escaped, running down his nape and past beneath the bathrobe.