Bare Your Teeth, Wicked Ones

4. Blood and Dreamy Green

To clarify since it seems some people are confused, Charmaine is not out in the military. As the story stated, the kingdom wanted men sent to war and as we've seen this is a misogynistic society, it is also incredibly homophobic and transphobic. William is the only one who knows Charmaine's gender identity, which is why he calls her Albie around everyone. This means Nicholas is also unaware that Charmaine is transgender. However, I am choosing to use Charmaine and she/her pronouns even in Nicholas' chapters. When he speaks to her, he will use the name Albie or refer to her as a man since he isn't aware of her gender identity. I didn't want to continuously misgender her in the text, so this is just the choice I made.

Warning: Gore

Nicholas

Hovering spheres of fuchsia light drifted through the heavy canopy of the tent. Nicholas brooded at a desk constructed of tree roots. Papers lay scattered, letters from his father lecturing him on taking drastic measures they never agreed upon. Didn't matter what he did though, Laurent always had complaints, so he never strived to fully listen. He always tiptoed the line of a good beating. Besides, those papers couldn't hold his attention when battling against Fearworn's book of monsters.

Nicholas began the translations the previous morning and had barely made it forty pages in. Fearworn's notes consisted of mad ramblings at first, as most lost Shades do. But his focus returned when he finally succeeded in opening a new Scar within the Deadlands, though they weren't called that at the time. Nicholas couldn't recall the name nor did he care. He sought how Fearworn created new monsters, but then Arden entered.

"I have them," he said while revealing a stack of flimsy papers.

Nicholas snatched them from Arden's grasp even as the fae summarized, "William Augustus Vandervult is the youngest son of Lord Robert Vandervult and Lady Matilda Vandervult. He has three older brothers and was recruited at the age of sixteen, thus serving in the war for five years. He was born and raised in the Heign Kingdom, attending military training at their recruitment camp for a year where Marsha Montgomery, the current Head Medical Officer of the second battalion, surmised he had a brilliance for medicinal magic, such as herbology and potion making."

"And potentially for good reason, he was in the infirmary more often than not. A seemingly sick and weak child needed a way to heal himself lest he fall in the war to a tiny infection." Nicholas sat the pages on his desk.

"I believe there is more to it than that," Arden countered. "I conversed with a few simpleminded humans having served alongside him. William is known for standing up for himself and others, sometimes in what they described as violent manners. He has been reprimanded on occasion."

"He started fights?"

"I believe his past combined with his lack of hesitation in shooting you speaks volumes."

Nicholas' sharp nail dug into William's portrait, scratching out the eyes, then tearing off the picture entirely. He passed Arden a wild grin. "Let us test how brilliant or violent of a mage he supposedly is."

"What of the Collision Treaty?" Arden asked. "The consequences of breaking it are severe."

"We won't push too far. I merely wish to play a game."

They shared a knowing stare. Arden had already turned for the exit when he ordered, "Find me something good to play with."

"I will be sure to impress." Arden hurried out of the tent.

Nicholas fell back in his chair of thorns, picking them off one by one to pinch between his fingers. The blades drew blood that he wiped away with a flick of his finger. The cut healed as swiftly as they came. The dull prick of pain kept him occupied, otherwise he may break that cursed treaty.