Terial fumbled his landing along the meandering staircase headed downwards, almost losing his grip on Luca. Resting his wings and readjusting his grip, Terial ensured his talons didn’t add to the bloody rents already far too numerous on Luca’s body. With a groan, Luca woke from his fugue state, eyes attempting to focus on Terial.

Tears threatened to restart from Terial’s eyes as he knelt and looked at his bond brother, his beautiful plumage damaged by the destabilization of his Aetheric Heart. “Luca, my beloved, you must stay strong. We’re halfway to Neon City and we can find a surgeon there. Just…just stay with me? NO. You will stay with me.” With a quavering hand, Luca gently caressed Terial’s face. “Terial, I’m sorry…sorry I couldn’t be stronger for you.”

Holding Luca’s hand to his own face, Terial’s eyes hardened. “Stop, enough of that. You’ve always been strong enough for me; strong enough for us both!” With a wheezing chuckle that morphed into a hacking spurting cough, Luca whispered “Strong enough in more ways than one, eh?” Terial crooned softly, hoping against hope that Luca’s normal banter coming to the forefront meant that he was stabilizing. Placing his hand behind Lucas' head to stabilize it, Terial hesitated a moment, then allowed some of the questions that had been swirling around in his brain to spill forth.

“Why did you have the contraband Luca? Were you going to leave the Temple? Leave me?” As the words spilled forth from Terial, a pain crept into Luca’s eyes that had nothing to do with his grievous wounds. Placing a finder on Terial’s lips to stem the flood that was only building up steam, Luca took a deep shuddering breath, adding some steel to his voice.

“I would never leave you Terial, you are my bond brother and soulmate. But you know the Temple Elders do not approve of any relationship that could jeopardize their precious dogma.” Luca spit a wad of blood to the side with more vitriol than was strictly necessary, leaving Terial to nod slowly as Luca gathered himself to continue.

“Besides all that, I was already on thin ice with the Elders. They…they gave me an ultimatum. Advance my Aetheric Heart to the next stage by Winter Solstice or I would be driven from the Temple.” Terial’s face blanched, then began to grow dark with anger as Luca continued. “I didn’t want to implicate you or give your enemies any more ammunition than they already had, so I went to Neon City to make enough scratch to buy the necessary treasures and pills.” With a wry smile Luca finished “I was going to surprise you at the nest, but I guess that didn’t work out so well, huh?

Luca’s words and accusations against the Elders send Terial’s mind racing. Those pompous windbags knew of a connection between him and Luca, though not to its true extent. This was simply a political maneuver by those in power to hurt a rising star in any way they could. Explanation given, Luca seemed to lose hold of some vital spark and faded back into unconsciousness, leaving a bloody smear along Terial’s face.

Terial had to push down a brief moment of intense panic, and allowed the cool calmness of his own Aetheric Heart to reach inside his mind. Casting his senses forth, Terial was able to sense the faintest bit of life emanating from Luca. Terial thought back to the worst moment of his life. Walking into the Lower Acolytes section, to Luca’s room. Terial had only meant to confront Luca about his findings. Finding the gambling chits and casino cards hidden away in their secret nest on the perimeter of the Temple grounds, Terial had felt a profound fear for their future together.

Outside influences were forbidden in the Ice Shard Temple, the Elders stating that any attachment to the greater world lessened the ability of the Skysworn to connect to the Aetheric Plane. Whether that attachment was physical, emotional, or monetary mattered not, going against the ancient teachings and edits of the Elders was cause for immediate expulsion. Fury tinged with worry had risen in his soul. He had left immediately for Luca’s room. The shock when he found Luca mid Elevation. The terror when Lucas eyes opened and a gentle smile came upon his face as his Aetheric Heart shattered due to the interruption. Every Sparvieran that lived at the Ice Shard Temple knew to take the greatest of precautions when attempting to elevate their Aetheric Heart to the next stage. So why didn’t Luca?

Telling himself that he would have that conversation with his Bond-Brother once he was healed, Terial once again secured his grip. Making an ungainly leap down the stairs, Terial’s wings snapped taught and strained to hold both himself and the lovable, massive, and unbelievably stupid oaf just above the path. Towards the multihued glow of Neon City, far at the bottom of the mountain. Towards hopeful salvation.