Welcome to Gaia! ::

“Mmn…”

Efflo murmured in his sleep, the springs of the ancient looking couch groaning as he shifted. He didn’t want to wake up, but anxiousness prickled at his skin. As tired and hurt as he was, he needed to leave. He hadn’t wanted to be there in the first place and everything had turned out so awfully. His eyes stayed shut minutes longer, clinging to the numbness the darkness of slumber brought. It was only with a heavy groan that he finally roused himself, carefully climbing to his feet.

He put an arm out, grasping the arm of the couch to steady him. Efflo felt dizzy and he ached, but again there was that nagging need to get out. He couldn’t ignore it and he hated this place. Shuffling across the floor, he pulled open the door angrily, too tired to care that there might be more monsters lurking behind it. The action made him wince, the muscles of his right shoulder screaming at him. Not that it mattered; his whole body was screaming at him, every step jarred the arrows embedded in his skin.

Gripping the wall for support, Efflo dragged himself along the corridor, all the way to the entrance. When his eyes caught sight of the big wooden doors, he hurried his pace as best he could, desperate to get outside. He felt dizzy and tired again, and everything seemed like a blur. It seemed to take an eternity to get the door open, and to cautiously slide down the steps.

The fog enveloped him immediately, and Efflo panicked, breaking into a hobbling lope. He wanted to put as much distance between the house and him as was possible, and he wanted never to return. The dizziness and unease thinned with the mist and without knowing how or why, everything suddenly returned to normal. The fog lifted, and the ominous shadows and sounds dissipated and the campus grounds he knew so well reappeared.

Just outside the Not-Forbidden Forest, he could see the Ghost dorms ahead of him. Gabriel, he mouthed silently. The dragon was all the boil could think of, what he needed most was the safety of Gabby’s arms around him. He needed to feel that comforting coolness, needed to hear the soothing sound of Gabby’s voice. Yet he didn’t want to worry his boilfriend or cause him any trouble. But he was so tired… He needed help. And he wanted Gabby, only Gabby. Efflo trudged toward the dorms; again in his exhaustion the short journey seemed to take forever. He couldn’t run anymore, it hurt too much, and he had no energy. He slumped outside the entranceway in relief once he reached it, unable to help himself. So tired…

He pulled his phone sluggishly from his pocket, head dipping sleepily. He tapped out Gabby’s number, holding the phone up to his face and closing his eyes. Even the repetitive ring of the dial tone seemed like lullaby, and Efflo found himself nodding off, falling asleep again before anyone could answer. He dozed peacefully, thinking of Gabby as his phone slipped from his hand to the ground, still ringing.

“Hn… Gabriel?” His eyes fluttered open, and recognizing his boilfriend, he smiled, murmuring happily. He repeated the dragon’s name, confirming it. Yes, it was his Gabby. Efflo leaned up, nestling in a contented stupor against the dragon’s arms.

“They’re uh…” He paused, pushing his tongue around his mouth thoughtfully. Trying to think was like trying to swim through mud. Efflo stared at the arrows, neurons firing at snail's pace. “… Arrows? Yeah, that’s it, they’re arrows! They hurt like a b***h. But it’s okay. It’s okay.”

He lifted his head to look at Gabby, still smiling. It was okay, really. It would be. All of his worries melted away looking at Gabby’s face, one look and he knew everything would be okay. Gabby was home, he was safe. Efflo loved him.

He reached up carefully with his good arm, fingers tenderly tracing the boil’s cheek. “Gabriel. Hi.”

Then a pause, and his sleepy smile widened.

“…Didn’t you kiss me the last time there was a fight?”

Efflo was quiet a moment, watching Gabby with half-closed eyes. He hadn’t wanted to worry him but he knew the boil was worried anyway. Efflo knew it was unavoidable, but he couldn’t seem to muster the same concern for himself that Gabby had. Wounds were nothing new, and scars he had plenty. It all healed eventually. Though this time had been strange, his glowworms were nowhere to be found during battle and even now he could feel them, lying dormant. And Mengyao had said things to him that he didn’t like, didn’t like at all. But he was too tired to delve into that mental puzzle, too weak to care what a stupid horseman had said. Mengyao was definitely not a real horse. Efflo realized Gabby was still talking, and he stared a minute more, processing the boil’s words before he frowned beneath the cold fingers.

“Did you tell me to shut up?”

But Gabby was right, and he sighed softly. As Gabby’s arms slipped around him, his body tensed. He knew what was coming. Efflo didn’t have the heart to tell Gabby that it hadn’t stopped hurting, and the horse knew the sudden jostling was going to disturb everything all over again. The cool touch of Gabby’s lips was a comforting sensation amidst the pain however, and Efflo braced himself, immeasurably grateful to his boilfriend for taking care of him. He knew it couldn’t be easy.

Lifted, Efflo bit his lip, hard, to keep from crying out. Dark fingers clutched tightly at Gabby’s clothes, clinging to him.

“You don’t-“ Before he could argue, Gabby had already broken down his door and set him carefully on the bed. The dragon’s tenderness made Efflo’s heart swell, and his eyes glittered dangerously as Gabby reassured him and put any fears to rest. He bit his lip again. He had to be strong.

But Gabby’s question left him hesitating. This was his fight, not Gabby’s. Efflo appreciated the boil’s anger on his behalf but feared he knew exactly what Gabby would try to do. He shook his head softly, resting it back against the soft pillows with a soft exhale of relief. The boil knew Gabby wouldn’t be happy with his answer but Efflo didn’t want the one he loved to get hurt too. “It doesn’t matter… I’ll take care of it. Just take care of me okay?”

He frowned again. Now that he could relax, and rest, he was able to focus on other things. Like the pain, but also the blood, dust and grime that he was surely covered in.

“You shouldn’t have put me up here, I’m going to ruin the sheets,” he said quietly, letting out a shaky breath.

Efflo tensed at Gabby’s sudden outburst, his ears flattening against his head at the loudness of it. But the dragon’s fury faded as soon as it had flared, and Efflo closed his eyes as pale fingers traced over him. He tried to sit up suddenly, wanting to hold his boilfriend, to nuzzle his face against Gabby’s. And he wanted a kiss dammit! Groaning, he pushed himself up, panting heavily and clutching at his stomach as pain seared across it. It was a moment before he answered.

“I… I don’t know.” He could feel his companions stirring finally, but whether or not they were repairing, he had no idea. His voice was quiet, shaky, his fatigue evident. “I think we need to take them out… As cool as a fashion statement as I think they would be…”

Efflo lifted his good arm, reaching for Gabby with a look of determination on his weary face. “C’mere.”

Lying down frustrated him, he felt useless and Gabby felt too far away. But the meeting of their foreheads pacified the boil, and he strained to lean into the touch, nuzzling Gabby in return. Then he let his head fall back against the plush pillows, closing his eyes while he tried to stop the world from spinning. Trying to sit up had made him feel dizzy again, and he was tired, so tired. Shutting his eyes felt better, and his ragged breath steadied. Now that Gabby was close he felt content, knowing that his boilfriend was right there. His good arm lifted once more, hand seeking out Gabby’s to hold. He’d get the kiss later.

“Okay,” he breathed softly.

Efflo braced himself, gripping Gabby’s hand tightly. He winced when Gabby took hold of it, gritting his teeth.

But nothing compared to the blinding flash of pain that came next. Despite Gabby’s instructions, he’d tried to stifle his cries and ended up biting his lip so hard that he broke through flesh, his scream erupting out of him anyway. The arrow hurt far more on the way out than it had going in, the hole the weapon had left behind angry and bloody. Efflo wheezed, grabbing at his shoulder desperately as he curled into himself, forgetting about the arrow lodged in his stomach.

Efflo howled in agony, immediately straightening out. His hand crushed Gabby’s in his and he glanced feverishly up at the dragon, eyes glistening. “Take it out, take it out, take it out,” he hissed, voice shrill.

He thought he would pass out from the agony but the sweet release of unconsciousness never came. Instead he was screaming again, voice hoarse and raw, letting go of Gabby’s hand as the arrow was removed, clutching the sheets so tightly in his fists that they tore. Gabby picked him up and Efflo grabbed onto him wildly, fingernails digging into him. His slender body heaved, racked with ragged gasps.

The pain was so overwhelming, he felt nauseous. The urge to retch was overwhelming but nothing came out, there was nothing but the intense ache of his body and Gabby’s arms holding him. He butted Gabby’s shoulder with his head, and then rested it there, his face wet with tears. He’d tried to hard to hold it back, to hold all of it back. But Efflo wasn’t as strong as Gabby, and he broke down into sobs, burying his face against the boil.