FicWad

Tomo surveyed the man who buzzed around Jared, checking his pulse, feeling his forehead and running a hand down the sodden body. He carried an extraordinary familiarity in his face, he was old - late fifties perhaps, Tomothought. His hair was shoulder length and black, not unclean, but far from in perfect condition. In fact, that was the best way to describe his entire being, the house. It was clear that this person felt that tidiness was not the highest of qualities.

As he bustled around Jared Tomo looked around the room. For it was a room. Almost every aspect of a house was contained within this one space, he assumed the door at the far left led to a bathroom. A bed was tucked away in the corner as was a spent sofa that housed an equally aged, gray-muzzled dog. A small area akin to a kitchen lay adjacent to Tomo, it was so primitive it could not be classed as such containing little more than a preparatorycounter containing several lethal looking knives and a fire run stove with a dented tin pot. Upon the ceiling hung various carcasses, some whole, others just a joint of meat. Most peculiar Tomo felt were the array a coloured jars and phials that inhabited shelves on the wood walls. Who on earth was this man?

"He is worse than I expected," the sudden noise caused Tomo to start.

"B-but you can fix him, Right? Please tell me you can fix him!"

The man gave a small sigh, gaze returning to Jared who gave constant, pitiful pants and moans of pain.

"I'll do my best, but most of it is down to him... It will not be easy!" He strained a clump of cloth from a bowl of water by Jared's head, the water being squeezed from the fibers before handing the damp material to Tomo, "Here, dab his forehead, it is essential he keeps cool. His body is overheating... We let that happen and... Well, you know,"Tomo's eyes went wide and scrambled to place the rag above his friends twitching eyelids. He nodded at Tomobefore moving over to consult a book that lay near the dog.

"sorry, but who are you?" Tomo asked, lifting his head, but not ceasing the movement of cloth over wet skin. The man did not look up from the fusty book.

"Name's Corvus," he grunted leafing through pages, "means 'crow'. I am the unfortunate brother of the pillock who did that to your friend -"

"- you're Caspian's brother too!" Tomo gasped.

"Yes, am I correct in believing he is dead?"

"Yeah... He is" Tomo was unsure whether it was wise to mention that it was by their hands he was killed... Then again, Tomo thought, he had called him a 'pillock' and that was not a description normally reserved for a well loved sibling, he would certainly not refer to Fillip or Ivana as such.

"Am I also correct with the knowledge that Kirus is also dead?"

Tomo nodded, Corvus hung his head and shook it sadly. "Caspian killed him?" He asked with melancholy

"How did you know?"

"Mira told me, also said that it was your friend that ended Caspian's life... I'd like to shake hands with her" Tomo was non-plussed. The horse had told him? But before he could question Corvus yelled: "Ah-ha"

He tapped a page in the book several times, scanned it for a moment before making his way to his collection of jars. He pulled several from their resting places upon the shelf as well as a pestle and mortar, piled them in his arms and went to the counter by the stove.

"what are those?" Tomo asked

"Nothing they do in a hospital will do your friend any good. These are far more effective than your chemical crap... All derived from nature and thousands of years of teaching an' learning." He poured the contents of some of the jarsin to the mortar and began to crush and blend to an amalgamation of coloured powers and frondescence. "just one more thing," Corvus unscrewed the lid of a jar containing a potent scarlet substance and tipped it in.

"what is that?" Tomo asked, wrinkling his nose.

"Blood of an ungulate -"

"Ahh... Will Jared be drinking that?"

"... Kind of... Why?"

"Nah, just best not to mention it. He's a strict vegetarian"

Corvus scoffed, still mixing the concoction, "Vegetarian... Bloody hell... Would those people stop defying tell me would Jared rather be inside a coffin?" Tomo chuckled and shrugged.

"How will he drink if he's unconscious?"

"He won't be drinking it... Too late for that, we need to be more... Direct. Besides he isn't unconscious. UnfortunatlyI ran out of hypodermic needles five years ago, so this is going to have to be done the old fashioned way..." Corvus transferred the mixture to a bottle that contained a funnel like nib and shook it, he then proceeded to grab the smallest knife upon the counter.

"woah, what are you doing?" Tomo called as Corvus made his way over to Jared.

"you have to trust me on this... It is the only way to save him. He'll be fine. Trust me... Please."

"last time I trusted one of your family, this happened!"

"Believe if I'd wanted to kill you I would have done so by now, besides I am nothing like my brother."

Tomo paused, weighing up his options. He had none, either trust this man and there being a possibility of Jared dying or leaving now and it being a guarentee. He nodded slowly, following Corvus to the table where Jared lay. The pallid body was convulsing violently, his head jarring upon the stained wood.

"quick!" Corvus commanded "hold his arm still."

Tomo did as bidden and held Jared's left forearm tightly, it was difficult as the muscles were unwilling to remain stationary.

"shit!" Corvus cursed, sickly foam spewed from behind Jared's lips. He rested the blade of the knife upon the crook of the pale elbow, the veins swollen and viciously purple below the skin. "press hard!" He instructed the Croatian whose fingers lay above and below the site of the knife. Corvus pushed down, the knife abrading the skin and forcing it to cry blood. Jared did not seem aware that anything had happened, "adrenaline, he's in shock, body can't cope..." Corvus quickly explained, "I need you to part the skin." Tomo grimaced as he obeyed, pulling the flesh and causing blood to seep faster from the wound. Corvus pored the bottle's contents into the small laceration, taking care for it to enter the vein, aiding the liquid's course occasionally with his fingers.

"are you sure this is safe and sterile?" Tomo's eyes were wide. Corvus barked with laughter causing his aged dog to lift his head.

"it is neither... You planning on working for the health department, boy? You're as pedantic as 'em... Jesus would you rather me be disinfecting the wound of his corpse?" He placed two fingers at Jared's carotid artery and kept them there, "get a glass of water, please"

"from where?"

"the river, of course..." Corvus watched Tomo's horrified look with amusement and chuckled, "I'm joking, son, there's a pail of fresh water outside,"

Tomo sighed then before exiting the home.

"Come on!" Corvus breathed to Jared, "I know you can hear me, fight it!" He felt the pulse beneath his fingers rising, more sporadic and forceful. Every cell in his body was operating at double time, the antidote had not yet taken effect, had not yet quelled the fire of the wolf blood. His breathing intensified, chest rising and falling with uncomfortable haste. Suddenly the minute body began to convulse worse than before, the whites of his eyes were visible through eye lidless slits and a horrific choking gurgle came from his through, stifled by spittle. He was having a fit.

"TOMO!" Corvus bellowed, the addressed flew through the door, almost screamed when he saw his friend.

"What the fuck did you do?" Rushing to his side

"Nothing... Exactly what I should have done...maybe he can't cope"

"What the hell does that mean!"

In the midst of the panic nobody but the dog seemed to have noticed the fact that Jared had stopped breathing.

XxX

The rain was torrential, beating down on their beings physically and physiologically. Drowning their spirits with its tiny cold fists.

"Where the fuck are we?" Gerard panted. They had been walking now for a quarter of an hour - no easy feat when carrying a werewolf - serpentining trees and dusty shrubs, the city lights now as alien as the stars above.

"I hear a river... We can't be far!" Hayley pointed straight ahead, her teeth chattering slightly. The night was vicious, command the cold to attack their skin, burrowing deep into skin, penetrate through flesh using the path the rain had already dug, scraping bone and gripping hearts with heimal hands.

But it was the dark that inhibited moral the most. The torch had breathed its last five minutes ago, flickering to nothing with a cough and splutter. Leaving them with nothing but black. Hayley's had been their only torch, only light source, the rest were left idol in the caves; dropped in fear or having escaped from bags in the jarring movements of running.

The party turned a corner and emitted a cry of joy.

"Mira! It's Mira, we're here!" Leah whooped. The unmistakable brilliant blue flames of the horse seemed to abolish even the rain.

"hey look, he's outside a cabin, they must be in there." Abbie smiled.

"And we don't have to cross the river," Mikey observed, for it lay behind the wooden hut.

Only a few trees lay between them and the horse, who gave a pleased neigh at their arrival. Hayley went ahead with Mikey. The flames provided light, as did the small outpouring through the window caused by burning candles. That did not stop a cry of surprise as Abbie tripped over a rock. Leah rolled her eyes

"Does that all the time..."

XxX

They were at the cabin now, Mikey opened the unlocked door.

"Oh my God!" He disappeared inside. The rest exchanged worried looks before following.

Jared was upon the table, unmoving, Tomo supporting his head trying to keep open his airways, glints of tears embedded in his beard.

Frozen in the threshold, they gaped,

'was Jared alive?'

Corvus was frantically throwing various jars aside, riffling through aged parchment and viciously emptying herbs, plants and entrails into a mortar.

"In, close the shutters!" He bellowed at the new comers. They scrambled to do what he commanded, the panic in his voice griping their hearts. Now the only light in the room originated from the burning wicks of candles which danced upon their melting pedestals.

Tomo was whispering pleas to Jared's motionless body, praying for his heart to resume beating, begging his lungs to draw another breath.

"Can you save him?" Dustin asked addressing Corvus -something was awfully familiar about him.

"Hope so" He breathed, never ceasing the creation of some strange concoction that would evidently be hoped to revive Jared, prevent him from to succumbing to the eternal sleep he lay on the fringes of, feet dangled over the precipice.

A moan came from the other end of the room, from Shannon. The absence of moonlight had reverted his form to human and abolished his unconscious state. Leah ran to aid him to his feet, he groaned a thank you before surveying the room. Milliseconds later he let out a bellow of despair and stumbled towards Jared and Tomo.

"No!" He cried; "No, don't leave me Jay, please!"

It was a heart wrenching sight. Shannon sobbing as Tomo tried to comfort him, but broke down himself.

"out the way," Corvus demanded Shannon, panic had abolished civility from his being. Corvus lifted Jared's torso from the table, having to fight his brother off first, and tilted back his head and placed the wooden bowl to the dry lips and trickled the contents in. He stepped back, wiping sweat from his brow, muttering pleas under his breath.

The next few seconds were excruciating.

Hayley wept in Mikey's arms, whose face was pained, Gerard stood next to Dustin their faces was closest to Shannon and stared wide-eyed at Jared, the flickering candlelight created the perverse illusion that his eyelids weretwitching. Abbie was on her knees clutching the neck of Corvus' dog, whispering a string of 'pleases' in his ear.

Still nothing, no vital signs from Jared, Corvus turned to them, completely deflated.

"I don't understand it..." He shook his head, chewing his lips as a sigh escaped them.

Tomo looked up, face shining with the trail of fresh tears.

"He's... He's... G-gone... Hasn't he?"

Corvus sighed and slowly nodded yes, "I think so..."

This was followed by an entourage of sobs and sunken heads.

"No..." Shannon said, but not in the tone one would expect from someone who had just lost a brother, "No... He hasn't!"

"Sorry?" Corvus replied.

Just then a hacking, spluttering cough reverberated around the room. Choking upon the very air it was so desperate to receive.

"Jared!" Shannon cried, wrapping his arms around his brother as though simply by embracing him tight enough he could inhibit further danger.

Corvus somehow managed to prise the brothers apart and immediately began to inspect Jared, who was currently staring wide-eyed and bewildered at his new surroundings his chest heaving with the attempt to pay off his body's oxygen debt. His lungs on fire from lack of use. Corvus checked his heart beat, pupil dilation and circulation all the while handling him like damp tissue paper or premature baby, on the edge of existence.

Jared sat on the table, silently, seemingly appreciating the precious sound of his own breath. He contracted his hand and wiggled his fingers, inspecting with almost childlike fascination, before placing the same hand above his , under Corvus' instruction, offered Jared the glass of water, aiding the shaking hands to the mouth. Jared took several long sips before stopping and opening his mouth to speak:

"I...I-I'm... Alive?" He asked, voice cracked and pained even with the lubrication of the water he looked at Shanon more than anyone else. All Shanon could do was nod incredulously, barely believing it himself. Tomo drew Jared into a heartfelt hug,

"yes Jay, yes you are!" Tears of joy leaked from his glowing eyes.

The rest stood, dumbfounded, a whirlwind of emotions still clung to the aged, splinter ridden walls, soul-crushing grief turned to monumental joy and surprise in the time taken to respire.

"you're not out of the woods yet," Corvus warned, "More like: we've outrun the bears, but they're still behind us!" His eyes lingered at the gaping wound at Jared's side that hid beneath blood soaked cloth. "That's where you werebitten, I take it?" Jared nodded slowly, eyes widening as he saw the bloody mess that was now his side as Corvus slit the cloth with the knife. He gentle placed his hand on the greenish skin around the perimeter of the wound, causing Jared to emit a yelp. "broken ribs," Corvus muttered, "nothing a little rest shouldn't fix"

"sorry," Jared interrupted,"but who are you, I'm confused"

"You're not the only one" Gerard interjected. Corvus nodded,

"Many pages need yet to be inked, that will come in good time." From his shelf he brought down a bamboo shoot green paste and gently, very gently applied it to Jared's wound before he re-bandaged it. "that will have to do for now, hopefully I've managed to stop it going septic and it should heal by itself, or at least I pray it does 'cause Ireally don't want to be the one to have to explain that to any doctor, nor how your blood is so... Inhuman"

"Inhuman? I thought you fixed him," Tomo frowned. Corvus sighed.

"Jared is still a vampire, the problem was that he was also a werewolf... You cannot be both and have any hope of living out the day, it was killing him. I managed to reverse the effect of the lyconthrope blood. However, he is still a vampire"

"Is that what you... 'injected' him with,"

Corvus nodded at Tomo's query, "It was a little known concoction, and while it hasn't eradicated all issues it did save Jared's life,"

Jared smiled a 'thank you' before being drawn into yet another hug, this time by Hayley followed by a clap on the shoulder from Gerard and Mikey, "you gave us quite a scare there mate," he smiled. Tomo then set Set about introducing Abbie and Leah to Jared - not that the former needed to be told who he was.

"You seem so familiar," Dustin frowned at Corvus tilting his head slightly. Corvus sighed.

"Time for some explaining I fear, sit down all of you," he flushed his hand around the room before apologising for the lack of seats. They moved until all resembling seats were occupied and the residual people sat upon the floor, Jared was made by Shannon to remain on the table. "well as Tomo knows I am Corvus, Caspian and Kirus's Brother." He waited for the collective gasp to die before continuing,

"I knew it," Dustin murmured, "but I thought you were... Dead"

Corvus gave a dry laugh, "Caspian never did like me much, always believed I was too cautious, too cowardly. Kiruson the other hand... We were good friends," he paused for a moment, pinching his brow with his eyes screwed shut, "he always came to me when Caspian would play tricks on him. Kirus was the youngest, I was the eldest I was the dad he never had, but as I'm sure you know... Life can be cruel. I was barely 22 years old when it happened, I had gone to get water as I did every day when I saw my mother... Dead on the floor with creatures from the very depths of hell standing over her. I ran as fast as I could back to our home, but it wasn't enough: they followed me, tore down the door and attacked...they left me alone though... I've never know why. They took Caspian away and leftKirus and me. I tried everything I could, everything mother had taught me, but I couldn't change him back. He had been bitten by a werewolf in human form and was caught in a bizarre state - as I am sure you have seen - the mind of a man, body of a wolf. Caspian returned after 7 nights, a vampire, taking nonsense of beings overthrowing humans, enslaving them... We fought, we all fought... I refused to be a part of it... And that was the last time I saw my brothers."

He sighed before having himself out of his seat and moving to the pot of water and the small stove before lighting the fire beneath, then he turned to his enthralled audience. "Thirty years passed with only snippets of what my brothers where doing, caught from those who escaped. Thirty years with no contact until Kirus turns up outside this very building. In fact, in was barley two Weeks ago that he came, distraught he was, told me of Caspian's plan, told me he wanted no further part. It was a shame to hear what the two had done together over the years the dozens they had killed for what they believed necessary for the liberation of so-called mythical beings. Kirus knew Caspian would kill him if he tried to stop him. I told him to play along for longer to keep coming back though. That was when I leaned of you two," he waved a hand at Hayley and Jared. "Caspian's 'great' plan. Kirus gave me this," he pulled it a pink mobile phone from his pocket, "he got it from the body of a girl that Jared..."

A wave of disgust crashed over Jared's face, Shannon placed an arm around his shoulder.

"then I got Kirus to place that note in your pocket. Sorry I could not be more explicit, but if Caspian ever found out it was me... Well I'm sure a lot of us would not be here right now. Whatever you think of Kirus just remember he was good at the core, I think what he did hopefully redeems himself..."

"what did he do?" Jared asked.

"Saved our lives, especially this crazy Croatian here." Shannon pointed to Tomo, who gave a wink and toothy smile, before briefly explaining what had happened, for Corvus' sake too. "and then..." Shannon could not go further than when he was knocked unconscious.

"he was about to kill you before Leah went ninja on his arse and decapitated him" Abbie informed, smiling at Shannon's dumbfounded look

"He could have killed you, Leah... But you saved me..." He walked over and pulled her into a bear like hug, giving her a peck on the check as they parted. It was hard to say who was more flushed, Jared only exacerbated the matter by wolf whistling. Shannon coughed and mumbled a thank you before scuttling over to thump his brother's arm playfully.

"hey, hey, hey! I'm delicate remember." Jared teased, "besides, you need to be nice to me considering you almost killed me... Oh my god Shannon I'm so sorry, I didn't mean that!" Jared was mortified as he looked at the immense hurt on Shannon's face that had also turned white as though he was about to pass out, "Shann?" He pulled his brother into a hug through which he hoped emitted a thousand apologies. "please know that I never meant that... I love you Shann, I know you would never do anything to hurt me..."

Shannon shook his head and smiled, "your mouth will get you into trouble one day Jared, you arse... But I love you"

"well, now that we have that sorted," Corvus handed everybody a mug of herbal tea. "you will all need to drink that, it's good for shock"

"In that case can I have a barrel full?" Gerard laughed

"actually, there are still a few things to be sorted out," Dustin pointed out, "Shannon is still a werewolf, I believe Jared is a vampire, as are Gerard and Hayley."

Corvus chuckled, "Kirus told me you were a difficult one. Okay then, I was going to suggest a rest, but let us getto business!"

XxX

Frank lay against the wall, panting hard as Ray applied pressure to a wound he had sustained on his arm. His face was grim add he looked around the cavern, the battle may have ceased, but the space still echoed with the cries and death rattles of the bloody fight.

"what have we done, Ray?" He sobbed as his eyes raked over the bodies of their fallen warriors... teenagers whose friends kneet over them, their screams of grief shattered the hearts of the two men who felt the blame towering upon their sunken shoulders.