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day 7 whumptober prompt: only for emergencies | magic with a cost | "it's us or them"
andrew stared at the army of soldiers in their path
this entire plan had gone sideways and rolled over and gone to shit nearly the moment it started
they’d managed to survive so far thanks to the foxes clever thinking
but they were out of plans and out of time
he was out of plans
and yet the foxes were here, with their heads held high, more willing to end this dead than to being the fjerdan’s prisoners
andrew was done with being prisoner in this life
and then neil was speaking to jean in rapid ravkan
they all turned towards them, as the fjerdan’s announced they had to the count of ten to give them jean back and surrender
jean looked terrified before, but his gaze turned to one of desperation
“you don’t understand,” he said in broken kerch, “a single dose-”
“i understand.” neil’s voice was steel, and andrew knew that whatever insane thing he was thinking of, he was 100% set on doing it
he didn’t understand what they were talking about until jean produced a little leather pouch from his pocket, its rim stained with rust colored powder
andrew’s heart seized in his chest
“no.” he said, voice firm and demanding. he grabbed for the parem, but neil was faster. he looked at andrew with pained yet reassuring eyes. andrew could feel his control breaking.
the fjerdan soldier was still counting. seven…
“neil, i know you’re stupid, but you can’t do this,” kevin pleaded, “you’ve seen–”
“some people don’t get addicted after the first dose”
“it isn’t worth the risk.” saints he was so fucking angry, the others turned to him at the raw rage in andrew’s voice
“we’re out of tricks,” neil whispered, the implicit you are out tricks a heavy weight in his chest
“give me time to think”
“no, it’s us or them, this is a trick i can still do,” neil said plucking open the pouch
“neil–” andrew couldn’t bring himself to say it, not after all the hurt the word caused him, but he knew neil heard it anyway, and he knew neil could see the anguish in his eyes
andrew could feel him slipping through his fingers even if he was right fucking there–
“five…”
neil only smiled at him, eyes teary and apologetic
“thank you, you were amazing.” neil raised his hand, as if he wanted to touch his cheek, but thought better of it and only let it hover briefly. andrew didn’t know what he would answer if neil asked him yes or no. “if it gets bad, find a way to end it, andrew. i’m trusting you to do the right thing.”
“three!”
before andrew could react, neil tossed his head back and poured the parem into his mouth, downing it in a single hard swallow. he grimaced for only a second, squeezing his eyes, before he became frighteningly still.
“two!”
when he opened his eyes, his pupils were dilated and he stared at andrew for the barest fraction of a second, before moving past him and stepping down from the tank. the air around him seemed to crackle, his skin glowing as if lit from within by pure magic. as if the saints’ power flowed right through him
andrew could feel the moment he lost neil, and as he singlehandedly took down the fjerdan army
he knew they had no other option if they wanted to survive
but he knew the cost was far greater than they could manage
they were all someone’s monster