*(Narrator)*
Feelers, and then legs, as an insect crawls out. You snatch at it, splitting it in half before devouring yours whole, savouring every morsel. Bitter, but a few more hours bought.
Fevin gives a satisfied sigh as he leans back against the wall of his bedding. Mission accomplished, he'd done what he needed to that day. Taylor's laugh flickered at the edge of the smoke. He swatted it away, let the warmth drown it, and smiled. There was no cell. No chains. Only drifting.
"You see that Tay? In here, you gotta be patient, know these kinds of things you know… Here, saved you a slice, open up."
Fevin turned Taylor over, his eyes had still been closed. He must have been comfortable, his body felt nice and cool, good for finding sleep. His sickness had been getting worse again, he hadn't eaten in a while, much to Fevin's annoyance. He hadn't taken his medicine either though Fevin had forced it into his mouth the last few nights. It was normal, he always got bouts of sickness where what ailed him kept him down before he got better for a short while. No… that wasn't what was bugging him though. He had wanted to tell Taylor something, something important. The past few days had just been so… inane and hazy though. Probably the-
A loud clashing of metal. Another. And then another. Rhythmic banging, though there was that deafening absence of screams out in the corridor. Let's watch what the view had to offer today.
Cell across the hall was empty. Their bed was unmade… nothing much was left in it, and Flint and Gerald weren't there right now. It was silly. They were usually there, and so Fevin sat in languid contemplation of their absence, trying to count the changes in the sky's hues that emanated from the window grates above. Warm and weighted quilt accompanied him whilst Fevin tried so hard to figure out where they'd gone. Why they had gone. Who? Fevin quickly lost interest as the loud banging of metal bars in cacophonous tempo restarted across the hall. He darted forwards into his own bars, hanging on to them as he pressed his face against them, trying to see the sound of the source.
Across the hall, a dishevelled and haggard looking man was shaking his bars. He… looked funny. His hairs were standing straight up, his mouth agape and resembling that face of a carp. This delighted Fevin beyond the scope of normalcy as he too joined in with his own uptempo of shaking and rattling, laughing at the sight before composing himself.
"H-hey brother! Close that mouth of yours for us will you?! Some of us are tired! H-ha!" He smiled, the cellblock choir giving back their empty applause. He was so funny, those laughs of him echoing right back at him. Do you know what? He didn't even need their low laughter. They… they got the joke, they got it. He swung back to turn and face the ungrateful member of this audience of his.
The sleeping princess still laid on his bedding, slack-jawed and the stain of dried drool on his mouth, unbecoming of the poet he said he was. Ungrateful bitch, still, Fevin had something to say to him. Something important. Could wait for later though.
"H-hey! Did'ya hear whad'I say Ta-"
The door to the cell block opened again, footsteps heavy either with a leaden authority of a larger man or someone with a clumsy weight to his walk approached him then, followed by others – one or two. Rust chipped and stained his cheeks, Fevin trying to see the men that were approaching.
A loud clashing of metal, and then another after but the guards walked past his cell.
"Oi coppas! Guys' back there makin'... the ruckus yeah? But he's real funny, you don't gott-a"
The three men stood before Fevin now. Those sneers of pressed superiority and noses flared in their usual sanctimony were gone now, only that disdain of disgust's peer remained then. Gate opening, arms came which dragged his friend out of his bed.
"H-Hey wait"
His arms buckled as he tried to twist himself to face the guards, wriggling for their boots that moved away from him then. Faceplanting, he got up, abject sobriety punching him in the gut with the metal grates closing between him and Taylor.
"H-hey no. Wa- WAIT A MINUTE YOU FUCKERS-"
He lunged for the last of the opening, jamming himself in between the closing grates and falling forwards towards the three.
Pain, dulled now floods his abdomen followed by another that begets a warmth and sickening crack from his midsection there. More came after. Metal-framed boots beat down on the man, writhing now on the floor, searing images of that day in the courtyard of that old man's body breaking and contorting into itself blackening the sides of his periphery. Blood spilled from between his lips, and that was the last thing he saw then, that encroaching darkness on the sides of his vision chased away by a blinding light
``` ```
*(Fevin)*
"I read of a man who was stood to give oration before the children of his mother, he separated and grinded fine the bones amidst ash and dust and noted first tell of the first summer's light that saw her youthful embrace. He spoke of the women whom had nourished her own with mana and ambrosia from the stars when full moon crowned sky's zenith and mourned the loss of parable and wisdom infinite the world had lost the day she slept last. I saw the words engraved in eternity's tablet so that history would observe that to her unpious and unworthy progeny came a life finer and civilised soon to forget the burden the earth was soon to absolve. Though the orator knew his better would never truly leave – that her breath lingers still in cyclic rotation – still I read of a man whom would feel his heart's aching quenched by his mother's tale be retold. Soil unworthy today quaffs down your storied remains, the waves drink of your nurture, mercy it be then that rest now finds your soul. And I shall heed your prayer to come home safe again."
Taylor had finished his tell there on that rooftop, the Eulor's Sermon sounding as he finished the inscriptions on the tiles of the roof that I laid him down on now. The inked circle glowed in dampening light of winter twilight as lights and embers coalesced into a single point, and then made form, wings in vibrato, gilded glow give way to a familiar viridescence, itself hovering over us two. Tail first it landed on my outstretched fingers, cradling my hands.
The explosion Tanner set off with his ink in the mess hall had went off already before as Taylor had been reciting his peace implore to me before. Cries rang as metal clashed in muffled and distant pangs but I didn't care then, I felt his warmth bleed into mine in cold air crisp there as we watched the setting sun.
"Happy winter's solstice Fevin."
His voice was soft and his voice was vulnerable. His voice would've garnered the disapproval of better men before and his voice was mine.
"Happy winter solstice Taylor."
It was sweet. I'd seemed to remember then that my mouth had opened that night intending to say something I hadn't understood. I'd seemed to remember too a look of withdraw on his. It hadn't been enough nor the things either of us needed but thicker confines barred the words we so needed to espouse with stars' witness. My eyes still find the tears that haven't fell from that night, it would have been great to start anew beneath the long and chasing dark.
``` ```
I awoke, groggy-eyed now. They didn't see but ringing ears did hear the clashing of blade against plated metal, fuzzy images of a man that danced with metal before him.
"Awake now are we? Horace! Horace Galvert, officer of the revolution!"
And that was his name, and from his blade breathed emberous and white spittle that stung and bit. Eb and flow of his linen cloak and robe with tangerine seams followed the path which cut down the guards. Ears still ringing, I had tried to hear the blaring alarm bells that filled the air then. Head still throbbing, I had tried to fully realise the crater that had taken a chunk out of the prison walls by our cell. I had tried not to vomit, and in the rising nosium, it came from those waves of clumsy dulled by my medicine in my head. Clutching my head, the tanned man propped me up on his shoulders before leaping out from those stone halls, our landing was not one of the grace Horace had tried so hard to exude.
Lain in crumpled heap, soft grass dragged across me as Horace pulled me up the hill.
"T-T-"
Clashes muddied into the backdrop, the guards engaged with a force of those that bore that same vermillion banner the officer did, a deluge of prisoners pouring out from various gates. I'd forgotten to say something important.
"My apologies brother! The swine infest those decked halls below. That jump… urf-"
We were up the hill. Moon's embrace was stifling.
"-our best shot of getting out of there quick"
Clashes muddied into the backdrop, the guards engaged with a force of those that bore that same vermillion banner the officer did, a deluge of prisoners pouring out from various gates. I stood up, and I pushed against my saviour, a frown tugging at that smile as I walked back from where we'd come from before.
"Lef- sum'un in the prison. Go take care of… rest of 'em"
I turned to see the officer already gone, racing for another breach in the prison with more people.
Trudge into run, I made for the one that taught me – a teacher, a friend, Taylor.