Sonic Series Fan Fiction ❯ Arrow, Bequeath my Heart ❯ Chapter 2
[ X - Adult: No readers under 18. Contains Graphic Adult Themes/Extreme violence. ]
By: Oreana Date 
Non Anime: Sonic Series Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Action / Adventure / Drama / Hentai / Fantasy | Type: Crossover | Uploaded On: 06.01.2013 | Pages: 3 | Words: 5.3K | Visits: 193 | Status: Completed
Non Anime: Sonic Series Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Action / Adventure / Drama / Hentai / Fantasy | Type: Crossover | Uploaded On: 06.01.2013 | Pages: 3 | Words: 5.3K | Visits: 193 | Status: Completed
“Are you sure about this?” Cyrus asked Sara-Li the next day. While he was touched by his sister’s desire to help him, Cyrus was also concerned about the intensity of these studies.
Keeping the little book close to her chest, she nodded feverishly at her brother’s question as Sara-Li waited for Cyrus to put on his boots. “Are you ready now?” She asked with a tilt of her head upon seeing her brother finally getting up from the chair he had been sitting upon.
Chuckling at her eagerness, Cyrus grabbed up the cobalt colored cape that his mom and dad wanted him to return to Thunderhawk. “Yes, I am ready now,” he answered, laughter hanging upon his words as he reached for his sister’s hand to help her out of the room and to the courtyard.
While the cold air was a bit thin compared to what Cyrus was used to, he could at least hurry to the college and get out of the harsh climate for a moment. Shaking his periwinkle hair to get the snow out of the strands, he asked one of the nearby mages where Thunderhawk’s room was before following the directions given up the winding staircase to the top of the college tower. When the decorative double doors came into view, Cyrus sighed a bit nervously before kneeling down to his sister. He really didn’t like letting her out of his sight, but he had promised his mom and dad that he would see a few of the healers about Winterhold. “Alright, Sara-Li,” he began, handing over the cape, so she could give it to the guardian, “remember what we talked about?”
Sara-Li crossed her arms over the book title she kept in front of her. Swaying back and forth, she nodded at Cyrus’ question. “If anything goes wrong, I run to mommy, daddy, or you,” Sara-Li answered.
“We’ll be back at the room for the most part,” Cyrus reminded her as he fixed Sara’s green dress with black embroidery. “We’ll be there if you need us.”
Knocking on the door for his sister, Thunderhawk’s voice came from the other side. “It’s open.”
Pushing open the door, Cyrus peeked inside of the bedchambers belonging to the ruler. “Whoa…” Cyrus said in shock at the small garden that was there at the center of the room that appeared illuminated by magical, blue-lights, which hovered about. “This room is bigger than our old house,” he muttered between him and his sister, looking at the alchemy desk off to the right side with an enchanting table as well at the other side of the room.
Thunderhawk made his way from the desk he was studying at behind the slightly curved cobblestone wall that contained his garden. His curious frown as to who was there eventually relaxed into a tender smile at the two making it into his room. “Hello there,” he greeted, fixing his leather gauntlets. “Glad to see you both made it here alright.”
Meeting Thunderhawk halfway, Sara-Li stood on her tippy toes to try and hand over the folded cloak, which belonged to the elder. “We brought your cape back,” she said a bit shyly.
Taking to one knee, the guardian reached for the cape to find it was even washed when he took it into his hands. “Your mother didn’t have to go through the trouble of making sure it was spotless,” he assured Sara-Li and her brother.
“She figured it was a way to repay you for everything you have done,” Cyrus pointed out with a smile to the leader.
Thunderhawk smiled his appreciation in return before standing back to his feet. “Will you be joining us then, Cyrus?” He understood that someone as young as Sara-Li needed to be escorted to his room, but he wasn’t aware if perhaps the boy was interested in some sort of magic as well. “I can teach you what I can about ice or fire magic if you like?”
“I appreciate it, my Lord, but I wouldn’t be able to handle it given my…health and all,” Cyrus hesitantly commented. “Speaking of, however, I did promise my mother and father I would meet with some healers to see if anything could be done about it.”
Nodding at Cyrus’ words, Thunderhawk gestured towards the young boy’s sister. “I will make sure that her studies end around evening. If your parents desire it to be earlier, well, you know where my room is,” the guardian said with a brief chuckle. “You don’t need to worry about disrupting anything.”
Sara-Li hugged her brother once more before she watched Cyrus leave the room. Never had she felt so small before without her family there beside her. She had no reason to be scared of Thunderhawk, but little Sara-Li couldn’t help but feel a bit weak-kneed at being alone with a stranger. Bringing the healing spells beginner book up to her face to cover it a bit, she peered up beyond the edges of the tome to gaze at the lilac echidna male.
He could see how timid the little Sara-Li was, making him kneel back down to her level, so that he would appear less intimidating in stature. “Your brother’s health isn’t the best, is it?” Thunderhawk inquired curiously, as he wanted to break the ice a bit with the little maiden.
Shaking her head at his question, Sara kept the book close to her chest.
“Can I ask you what is wrong with him?” Thunderhawk asked a bit further with a tilt of his head. “It might help me know what we’re up against in terms of training.” Seeing the curious look in her violet eyes, he smiled briefly before playfully bopping her nose with the tip of his finger. “I may be old, but I am not blind, little one. I know you’re doing this for your brother.”
Sara-Li rubbed her nose with the back of her hand, struggling to talk about it for a second before finally finding the words to do so. “He can’t breathe well,” her small, innocent voice explained. “There are times he has a hard time breathing. If his allergies start, he begins wheezing, or wherever the air is hard to breathe.”
Thunderhawk furrowed his brow at her comment regarding Cyrus’ weak respiratory system. “And yet your parents are here in a very difficult climate for him to breathe within,” he pointed out with a bit of concern. “The air here is really thin,” Thunderhawk explained, “so I am a bit concerned about him trying to have a normal life out in the cold.”
Sara-Li rolled her shoulders as she moved some of her periwinkle blue hair out of her way. “He was okay when we first arrived,” she pointed out to the guardian. “The air didn’t hurt his breathing.”
“I guess there must be moments his lungs cannot handle too much strain,” Thunderhawk pondered as he stood back up with a grunt. “To be honest, I am not sure there is much we can do in such a situation, but we can do our best.” Motioning with two fingers for her to follow him, he ventured over near the alchemy table where he had an extra table for her to sit at. “We can study here.”
Seeing him move the chair for her to sit upon, Sara-Li made her way over towards the desk to sit the book down on the flat, circular surface and then moved herself upon the mahogany made piece of furniture. “Are you going to read it to me now?” She curiously wondered as she opened to the first page.
Thunderhawk cocked his brow at Sara-Li with a playful sideways smile before shaking his finger at her. “No, no—I’ll read it with you,” he answered as he leaned over her to look at the first page with Sara-Li. “Read until you get stuck,” the guardian ordered as he touched the first word she was to start at. “I’ll help you break down the word and understand the ones you get stuck at.”
“Will you teach me magic too?” Sara-Li asked, as she looked at the leader through her wild bangs.
“I can help you understand the tome,” Thunderhawk explained with a throaty chuckle. “I told you, I don’t know the first thing about using healing magic; at least not very well anyways.” Seeing the disappointment in her eyes, Thunderhawk touched her cheek with his index finger to get her to look back at him when Sara-Li tried to gaze away. “Each person here isn’t born with a talent to cast fire, ice, healing, or any specific type of spells,” he began with a shake of his head. “It is up to that person to learn from those that are better than them and learn techniques on their own time from past masters or even experiment on their own.”
He paused for a moment before continuing as he could tell Sara-Li was still a bit confused at the point he was trying to make. “My father is one of the best arcane mages there are, and my grandfather is one of the best in the use of illusion magic and what they call ‘puppeting’ magic. If you think I was to be born with their magic in my blood, you’re sourly mistaken, little one. I had to learn on my own how to use fire and ice magic, and my daughter, she did her best to learn healing and defensive magic.” Folding his arms in front of the space closest to Sara-Li upon the table, he smiled briefly at the small child. “I can help you understand reading and writing better, so that the healing spells will make sense to you, as well as help you get down the important formulas when it comes to conjuring a spell to begin with, but after that, all I can do is monitor your progress and assist best I can.”
With it making sense to Sara-Li, the young child nodded as she brought her hands together in front of the open text. “I’ll do my best,” she said quietly, as if it were a secret between them.
Thunderhawk expelled a playful, nasally huff. “I have a feeling you’ll do more than that given what drives you.” His blue eyes shifting back to the first page, he looked back at Sara-Li with a smirk. “Now, read.”
The entire room was filled with Sara-Li’s voice as she attempted to read through the book aloud with Thunderhawk nearby. At times, Thunderhawk had to step away to make lunch for them or to check through his ingredient list regarding alchemy supplies, so he had asked her to speak louder when he was across the room or in any adjoining rooms. Sara-Li did stumble over a few words, but the guardian did help her break them down as promised and explained to her what it meant in the sentence it was within to give her a better understanding of it.
After the last sentence was read, Sara-Li turned the book over before looking about the room to see that Thunderhawk hadn’t returned from behind the partially built cobblestone wall in his room. “I’m done!” She called, hoping that the leader could hear her.
“You read fast,” Thunderhawk called back from where he was behind the garden wall with a bag in hand. Making it back into view, he checked the positioning of the sun from beyond his window with a smile. “Sadly, we’ll have to resume this later. I did promise your brother I would return you to your family about the coming of night, so I best keep my word.”
“Will I be learning how to do the spells tomorrow?” Sara-Li asked, as she closed the book and hopped down from the chair.
“We’ll get there,” Thunderhawk laughed as he made sure she kept the tome he had offered to her the day before. “Keep that book, and make sure you read over it and can understand it. That is when we’ll be able to take it a bit further.”
Sara-Li nodded with a smile as she kept up with the elder as they made their way out of his bedroom and about the courtyard. With how badly she was shivering, Sara-Li grabbed onto the cobalt colored cape and wrapped herself a bit within it.
Thunderhawk could feel her trembling there against his leg, prompting him to bend down to pick her up into his arms and wrap her a bit tighter in his cloak. “I promise, the longer you are here, the harder it’ll be to notice the cold.”
Upon making it to the dorm room area that he was aware Devon and his family was, Thunderhawk allowed himself into the main casual area before making it to the family’s bedroom door to knock upon it. “Devon?” Thunderhawk called as the knuckles of his gloves rapped upon the wood. “It is I, Thunderhawk, with Sara-Li.”
The door opened in no time at all to show the beige furred echidna there. Seeing his little girl safe and sound, he reached for Sara-Li to untangle her from the cape and take her back into his arms. “There you are, you little munchkin,” Devon smirked, kissing her cheek. “I was beginning to wonder when you’d get back.” Helping his daughter back down to her feet, he watched as she hurried over towards her mother, who appeared to be upon the bed trying to read to Cyrus.
“Devon?” Thunderhawk whispered between them, nodded towards the shared living space to those in that tower. “May I speak with you in private a moment?”
“Of course, my Lord,” Devon answered without hesitation. He shut the door behind him quietly, hoping that whatever it was Thunderhawk had to say wouldn’t put his family back out on the streets. “My daughter wasn’t that much of a bother, was she?” He joked lightly.
Thunderhawk shook his head with a brief laugh. “No, of course not,” he said as he made it over towards the circular well like creation in the middle of the room that poured forth a magical blue light all the way up the top of the tower. Upon making it to the cobblestone constructed formation, Thunderhawk offered the bag of items over to Devon.
“What’s this?” Devon asked as he took the sack to open it up and find a few full vials in a protective case with a bit of food as well. “My Lord…?”
“Sara-Li told me what brings you in such a dangerous position,” Thunderhawk answered, crossing his arms upon the stone before him. “Afraid I don’t know all too well what is causing your son’s respiratory issues, but I did have a few potions lying around that might be able to make it less likely to attack him in this climate. If he takes those potions, it should aid his lungs a bit to make them less likely to hinder his breathing.” He rolled his shoulders like the gesture was nothing. “Also, the food is for your family. I was able to pull out some of my rations for you to take, as you are feeding two growing children, and I can bother the cooking servants when I desire.”
Devon wasn’t sure what to say at first. Thunderhawk hardly knew them, and they weren’t even offering anything to the college in terms of magic let alone money, and yet Thunderhawk was willing to do so much. “You do so much for your people and even vagabonds like us,” Devon chuckled softly between them as he kept the bag close to his chest. “Is there anything I can do to repay it all, my Lord?”
Gazing back at the closed door, which would lead into the room Devon had for now, Thunderhawk smiled sincerely at the young man. “I think in time you will. We don’t have many healers here, and I have no doubt Sara-Li will be one of the best given what drives her to be so.”
Devon gazed back on the door as well before moving his wild, black hair out of his way. “She is my special little angel,” he admitted, feeling a bit guilty about everything he had dragged Sara-Li and Cyrus through just to find them a better life.
“Make Cyrus take one of those potions tonight,” Thunderhawk insisted, as he found the road of conversation running a bit thin. “See if it helps him a bit tomorrow by taking him outside after you give him another in the morning.” He shifted his focus about the handmade structure they were in with a soft sigh. “Afraid these old walls can only do so much for his condition.”
“Thank you, Lord Thunderhawk,” Devon praised, as he kept the items close to him still.
“One in the morning, and one at night,” Thunderhawk reminded the young man. “Got that? We’ll see if his body will keep up with it all as we continue onwards.” With that said he waved his farewell to Devon and made it back out into the courtyard to head back to his own training he didn’t have a chance to get to.
----
Cyrus didn’t feel any different when he had taken the potions as instructed by his father. When she saw her husband was intent on making sure that Cyrus did go outside, Jade-Li couldn’t deny she was quite nervous about all of this. “Are you sure we should do this?” Jade-Li asked Devon in private, not desiring for her son to collapse from lack of adequate air getting to him.
“I trust Lord Thunderhawk,” Devon answered without question, holding onto his lover’s upper arms. “He’s done a lot for us already. Why would you question him now?”
“Because that’s our son,” Jade-Li said in return, furrowing her brow with a submissive sigh. “But…fine. If anything happens to him, we are coming right back here without another question.”
“Of course, my love,” chuckled Devon as he opened the door to the bedroom to look inside to find Cyrus and Sara-Li appeared to be dressed and prepared to head out. “Are you two about ready to go?”
“I’m as ready as I’m going to be,” Cyrus admitted a bit nervously as he got to his feet while taking Sara’s hand within his own.
“You will let us know if something feels wrong, right?” Jade-Li wanted reassurance that her son wouldn’t hesitate to let her know when he started feeling ill. Cupping her son’s cheeks, she smiled at him briefly. “You know I just don’t want you to feel you have to brave it out for us.”
“Mom,” Cyrus began almost in a playful whine, “I’ll tell you if I cannot breathe still. I promise.”
“Lord Thunderhawk had told me he would be practicing with a group outside of the college for a bit anyways,” Devon went onwards to explain to his wife as they made it out of their room and slowly into the icy cold atmosphere. “If anything happens, I am sure he won’t hesitant to help us get quickly back to the college grounds.”
The courtyard was horribly restricted in regards to how the mages could practice, so Thunderhawk and the other mages would find themselves venturing just outside of Winterhold to train there. Devon carefully led his family through the village covered in snow and out to the nearby clearing just down the hill to the east.
Jade-Li had never seen mages work their magic so freely in such a way. It almost made her periwinkle fur stand on end at the sight of destruction magic being used in such ways that it melted the snow and or decimated trees. “Never knew mages could be so…powerful.”
Sara-Li didn’t appear put-off by what she was viewing. Any worry of it was displaced by a happy smile and a feverish wave at Thunderhawk, who she could see not far away from where they stood. “Thunderhawk!” She called, hurrying after the archer mage in hopes to get to him.
After letting the arrow fly to its target, Thunderhawk hummed in question as to who was calling for him at first until he saw Sara-Li heading towards him. “I was hoping you’d make it out here with your family,” said the guardian, as he lowered his bow before kneeling into the snow to meet Sara-Li.
Sara had never seen his bow actually shimmering before. She noticed that the swirling marks were shining a bright white light. “Your weapon is glowing,” Sara-Li pointed out, sounding a bit mystified by it.
“Mm?” Thunderhawk brought his bow back into sight, forgetting that it did that on occasion. “Ah, well, it’s enchanted with ice magic, my dear. It aids in my ice arrows that I hit my enemies with.”
“Did you enchant it yourself?” Jade-Li asked, as she made it closer to the elder, her hands clasped close to her chest in curiosity as well.
“I did,” answered the guardian as he got back to his feet. “It took quite a deal of work, but I managed. I was given the bow by my father, Sojourner, the King of Whiterun.” Turning his attention to Cyrus, he smiled at the young boy. “Are you feeling alright?”
“So far so good,” Cyrus admitted. He was almost finding himself at a loss for words regarding the thanks he should express to the King of Winterhold for everything he had done.
“Well, just let us know if something flairs up,” Thunderhawk insisted with a gentle tap to the boy’s upper arm. “I have mages here that can teleport you and your family back to the college.” Feeling the gentle tug on his bow, the lilac furred echidna looked down at Sara-Li to find her curiously rolling her fingers over the illuminated designs. “Did you want to try and shoot an arrow?”
Jade-Li couldn’t help but place her hand upon her chest to steady her heart, which threatened to leap into her throat at that suggestion. “Oh, I don’t know if that’s—!”
“I promise, my sweet Jade-Li, I won’t let anything happen to her,” Thunderhawk swore. “Besides, you can watch us, and you’re welcome to punch me if I harm her.”
Devon couldn’t help but laugh at the joking comment, even if Jade-Li shot a rather irritable glance at her husband. Apologizing through his laughter he attempted to settle, he held his wife close to his chest. “She’ll be fine as long as a professional archer is there beside her.”
Thunderhawk inwardly chuckled himself as the bow was bigger than Sara-Li anyways. Bending his body slightly so that he was at par with the young child, he situated the bow in her hands. “Hold it like this,” he instructed, keeping her left hand on the wooden, light-blue crafted center of the bow. “Now, take the arrow, and pull it against the string.” Thunderhawk was aware that, by herself, it would be impossible for her to put that much force against the string in her age, so he helped pull the arrow back with her hand upon the end of the projectile. He had his left hand upon her own as well to make sure that the arrow wouldn’t cause any burn marks against her fur in the process when it was to fly. “Are you ready?”
“I am ready!” Sara-Li said eagerly, wanting to see the arrow fly up close as she was.
“Alright, now, release,” Thunderhawk said simply, feeling her let go of the arrow at the same time he did. When the arrow hit the trunk of the tree as intended, the guardian looked down at Sara-Li with a chuckle. “You’re a natural. When you get older, I have no doubt you’ll be hitting marks better than myself.”
Giggling shyly at his comment, Sara-Li grabbed onto her emerald colored dress before hurrying over towards her parents. “Mommy, did you see that!” She exclaimed happily, reaching for her mother.
Able to breathe a sigh of relief, Jade-Li picked up her child and hugged her tightly with a kiss to her cheek. “I sure did, sweetie. You did a great job,” she praised, holding Sara-Li close to her chest.
“I better get back to training,” Thunderhawk said with a smile to the family. “You’re welcome to do as you please, but just stay close. Some of these mages are a bit unsteady with their aim, and I don’t want you to be in the way of that.” Drawing another arrow from his quiver, Thunderhawk took no time at all firing it back at the tree’s trunk.
“Let’s go have a look around then, yes?” Devon suggested to his family, as he wasn’t able to really enjoy the scenery when they arrived given their situation they were in beforehand.
“Can I stay here?” Sara-Li asked, looking between her parents. Seeing the confusion in her parent’s eyes, she looked back at Thunderhawk briefly before saying, “I just want to watch him train.”
“I will watch over her,” assured the guardian, as he saw the concern wrinkling the brow of her parents. “Just remember to come back to me if the medicine starts to show signs of weakening.” With the family finally reaching an agreement and promising Sara-Li they’d return in a moment, Thunderhawk watched as they made their way about the training space to get a better idea of what mages were capable of. “So, were you able to think about the book last night?” Thunderhawk asked, as he let another arrow fly to the trunk of the tree, splitting one of his other arrows in half in the process.
“Yes, but I am not sure how I will be able to con…conju—.”
Hearing Sara-Li struggle with the word, Thunderhawk corrected her as he drew another arrow. “Conjure,” he said simply as he put the arrow to the bowstring, “and you will. Don’t you dare doubt yourself.”
Sara-Li had sat down on the snow, bringing her knees to her chest with a curious tilt of her head. “Can you really breathe fire?” She asked, as she had yet to actually see him do it. “I know dragons can, as I have read about them some, but I didn’t think echidnas could.”
Thunderhawk looked at Sara-Li out of the corner of his eye with a smirk. “Do you want to see?” He asked. Seeing her feverishly nod, the guardian readied the arrow back on the bowstring in preparation to fire. Upon releasing it, he opened his mouth and expelled a harsh, red flame to engulf the end of the arrow before the arrowed head buried within the tree and lit it on fire.
Seeing the fire actually come from an echidna’s mouth, Sara-Li was in shock at the sight. Looking back up at Thunderhawk, she clapped her hands excitedly. “Again!” She begged, like it was a show she had a front row seat to.
Thunderhawk laughed at her excitement in the display before opening his mouth just a bit to allow the flames to steadily slide from his mouth before he had to stop in worry the flame might draft upwards and get his nose. “I can breathe an icy fire as well, but it’s harder for me to get a good hold onto. I’ve not practiced with it in some time,” he admitted, rubbing his brown beard to make sure he didn’t singe it again.
As the training persisted throughout the day, Thunderhawk found it to becoming quite late, and he figured it would be a good time more than any to retreat back to the college grounds. He hadn’t heard Cyrus’ breathing got out of control, also putting more relief on matters as he packed up his belongings and headed over to Sara-Li to pick her up into his arms. “Alright, let’s get you back to your family,” Thunderhawk said tenderly as he stroked the periwinkle hair of the child.
As Sara-Li lulled into his embrace, she found that the surrounding area was suddenly covered in shadow. Looking upwards at the sky, the fur on the child spiked in crippling fear as she screamed at the sight of an actual dragon hovering not far from the training grounds.
Turning around quickly to see the ice dragon there, preparing for an icy attack, Thunderhawk grabbed his cobalt cape to bring it up to block off the oncoming assault with the magical fabric, which was able to negate a majority of the hit. Thunderhawk could hear Sara-Li screaming and crying as she held onto him tightly. Growling at the ground shaking upon the massive beast landing finally, he hurried as quickly as he could to safety with the child even if he was doing his best to hide the pain that had stung his back from the dragon actually landing a blow.
“My baby!” Jade-Li exclaimed tearfully through the madness and fearful screams that followed from the mighty roar of the landing dragon. “Where is my baby!”
Thunderhawk was able to finally reach Jade-Li and Devon halfway, handing over Sara-Li as he was able to ready his bow. “Get out of here!” He demanded, whistling sharply for his steed he had nearby in the woods. “Head for the portals the conjuring mages are making, and get back to the college!” When his white stallion finally came into view, Thunderhawk grabbed onto the reins and hefted himself on the back of the horse without the creature stopping to wait for him.
Sara-Li watched through her fearful tears and her mother’s protective embrace as Thunderhawk road right towards the dragon, firing his arrows he engulfed with his flame breath before dismounting off of his horse not far from where the dragon was perched to have a flame war with the massive creature. She could see the ice and fire collide together in a power struggle before the scene disappeared and everything was replaced with the surrounding college.
Keeping the little book close to her chest, she nodded feverishly at her brother’s question as Sara-Li waited for Cyrus to put on his boots. “Are you ready now?” She asked with a tilt of her head upon seeing her brother finally getting up from the chair he had been sitting upon.
Chuckling at her eagerness, Cyrus grabbed up the cobalt colored cape that his mom and dad wanted him to return to Thunderhawk. “Yes, I am ready now,” he answered, laughter hanging upon his words as he reached for his sister’s hand to help her out of the room and to the courtyard.
While the cold air was a bit thin compared to what Cyrus was used to, he could at least hurry to the college and get out of the harsh climate for a moment. Shaking his periwinkle hair to get the snow out of the strands, he asked one of the nearby mages where Thunderhawk’s room was before following the directions given up the winding staircase to the top of the college tower. When the decorative double doors came into view, Cyrus sighed a bit nervously before kneeling down to his sister. He really didn’t like letting her out of his sight, but he had promised his mom and dad that he would see a few of the healers about Winterhold. “Alright, Sara-Li,” he began, handing over the cape, so she could give it to the guardian, “remember what we talked about?”
Sara-Li crossed her arms over the book title she kept in front of her. Swaying back and forth, she nodded at Cyrus’ question. “If anything goes wrong, I run to mommy, daddy, or you,” Sara-Li answered.
“We’ll be back at the room for the most part,” Cyrus reminded her as he fixed Sara’s green dress with black embroidery. “We’ll be there if you need us.”
Knocking on the door for his sister, Thunderhawk’s voice came from the other side. “It’s open.”
Pushing open the door, Cyrus peeked inside of the bedchambers belonging to the ruler. “Whoa…” Cyrus said in shock at the small garden that was there at the center of the room that appeared illuminated by magical, blue-lights, which hovered about. “This room is bigger than our old house,” he muttered between him and his sister, looking at the alchemy desk off to the right side with an enchanting table as well at the other side of the room.
Thunderhawk made his way from the desk he was studying at behind the slightly curved cobblestone wall that contained his garden. His curious frown as to who was there eventually relaxed into a tender smile at the two making it into his room. “Hello there,” he greeted, fixing his leather gauntlets. “Glad to see you both made it here alright.”
Meeting Thunderhawk halfway, Sara-Li stood on her tippy toes to try and hand over the folded cloak, which belonged to the elder. “We brought your cape back,” she said a bit shyly.
Taking to one knee, the guardian reached for the cape to find it was even washed when he took it into his hands. “Your mother didn’t have to go through the trouble of making sure it was spotless,” he assured Sara-Li and her brother.
“She figured it was a way to repay you for everything you have done,” Cyrus pointed out with a smile to the leader.
Thunderhawk smiled his appreciation in return before standing back to his feet. “Will you be joining us then, Cyrus?” He understood that someone as young as Sara-Li needed to be escorted to his room, but he wasn’t aware if perhaps the boy was interested in some sort of magic as well. “I can teach you what I can about ice or fire magic if you like?”
“I appreciate it, my Lord, but I wouldn’t be able to handle it given my…health and all,” Cyrus hesitantly commented. “Speaking of, however, I did promise my mother and father I would meet with some healers to see if anything could be done about it.”
Nodding at Cyrus’ words, Thunderhawk gestured towards the young boy’s sister. “I will make sure that her studies end around evening. If your parents desire it to be earlier, well, you know where my room is,” the guardian said with a brief chuckle. “You don’t need to worry about disrupting anything.”
Sara-Li hugged her brother once more before she watched Cyrus leave the room. Never had she felt so small before without her family there beside her. She had no reason to be scared of Thunderhawk, but little Sara-Li couldn’t help but feel a bit weak-kneed at being alone with a stranger. Bringing the healing spells beginner book up to her face to cover it a bit, she peered up beyond the edges of the tome to gaze at the lilac echidna male.
He could see how timid the little Sara-Li was, making him kneel back down to her level, so that he would appear less intimidating in stature. “Your brother’s health isn’t the best, is it?” Thunderhawk inquired curiously, as he wanted to break the ice a bit with the little maiden.
Shaking her head at his question, Sara kept the book close to her chest.
“Can I ask you what is wrong with him?” Thunderhawk asked a bit further with a tilt of his head. “It might help me know what we’re up against in terms of training.” Seeing the curious look in her violet eyes, he smiled briefly before playfully bopping her nose with the tip of his finger. “I may be old, but I am not blind, little one. I know you’re doing this for your brother.”
Sara-Li rubbed her nose with the back of her hand, struggling to talk about it for a second before finally finding the words to do so. “He can’t breathe well,” her small, innocent voice explained. “There are times he has a hard time breathing. If his allergies start, he begins wheezing, or wherever the air is hard to breathe.”
Thunderhawk furrowed his brow at her comment regarding Cyrus’ weak respiratory system. “And yet your parents are here in a very difficult climate for him to breathe within,” he pointed out with a bit of concern. “The air here is really thin,” Thunderhawk explained, “so I am a bit concerned about him trying to have a normal life out in the cold.”
Sara-Li rolled her shoulders as she moved some of her periwinkle blue hair out of her way. “He was okay when we first arrived,” she pointed out to the guardian. “The air didn’t hurt his breathing.”
“I guess there must be moments his lungs cannot handle too much strain,” Thunderhawk pondered as he stood back up with a grunt. “To be honest, I am not sure there is much we can do in such a situation, but we can do our best.” Motioning with two fingers for her to follow him, he ventured over near the alchemy table where he had an extra table for her to sit at. “We can study here.”
Seeing him move the chair for her to sit upon, Sara-Li made her way over towards the desk to sit the book down on the flat, circular surface and then moved herself upon the mahogany made piece of furniture. “Are you going to read it to me now?” She curiously wondered as she opened to the first page.
Thunderhawk cocked his brow at Sara-Li with a playful sideways smile before shaking his finger at her. “No, no—I’ll read it with you,” he answered as he leaned over her to look at the first page with Sara-Li. “Read until you get stuck,” the guardian ordered as he touched the first word she was to start at. “I’ll help you break down the word and understand the ones you get stuck at.”
“Will you teach me magic too?” Sara-Li asked, as she looked at the leader through her wild bangs.
“I can help you understand the tome,” Thunderhawk explained with a throaty chuckle. “I told you, I don’t know the first thing about using healing magic; at least not very well anyways.” Seeing the disappointment in her eyes, Thunderhawk touched her cheek with his index finger to get her to look back at him when Sara-Li tried to gaze away. “Each person here isn’t born with a talent to cast fire, ice, healing, or any specific type of spells,” he began with a shake of his head. “It is up to that person to learn from those that are better than them and learn techniques on their own time from past masters or even experiment on their own.”
He paused for a moment before continuing as he could tell Sara-Li was still a bit confused at the point he was trying to make. “My father is one of the best arcane mages there are, and my grandfather is one of the best in the use of illusion magic and what they call ‘puppeting’ magic. If you think I was to be born with their magic in my blood, you’re sourly mistaken, little one. I had to learn on my own how to use fire and ice magic, and my daughter, she did her best to learn healing and defensive magic.” Folding his arms in front of the space closest to Sara-Li upon the table, he smiled briefly at the small child. “I can help you understand reading and writing better, so that the healing spells will make sense to you, as well as help you get down the important formulas when it comes to conjuring a spell to begin with, but after that, all I can do is monitor your progress and assist best I can.”
With it making sense to Sara-Li, the young child nodded as she brought her hands together in front of the open text. “I’ll do my best,” she said quietly, as if it were a secret between them.
Thunderhawk expelled a playful, nasally huff. “I have a feeling you’ll do more than that given what drives you.” His blue eyes shifting back to the first page, he looked back at Sara-Li with a smirk. “Now, read.”
The entire room was filled with Sara-Li’s voice as she attempted to read through the book aloud with Thunderhawk nearby. At times, Thunderhawk had to step away to make lunch for them or to check through his ingredient list regarding alchemy supplies, so he had asked her to speak louder when he was across the room or in any adjoining rooms. Sara-Li did stumble over a few words, but the guardian did help her break them down as promised and explained to her what it meant in the sentence it was within to give her a better understanding of it.
After the last sentence was read, Sara-Li turned the book over before looking about the room to see that Thunderhawk hadn’t returned from behind the partially built cobblestone wall in his room. “I’m done!” She called, hoping that the leader could hear her.
“You read fast,” Thunderhawk called back from where he was behind the garden wall with a bag in hand. Making it back into view, he checked the positioning of the sun from beyond his window with a smile. “Sadly, we’ll have to resume this later. I did promise your brother I would return you to your family about the coming of night, so I best keep my word.”
“Will I be learning how to do the spells tomorrow?” Sara-Li asked, as she closed the book and hopped down from the chair.
“We’ll get there,” Thunderhawk laughed as he made sure she kept the tome he had offered to her the day before. “Keep that book, and make sure you read over it and can understand it. That is when we’ll be able to take it a bit further.”
Sara-Li nodded with a smile as she kept up with the elder as they made their way out of his bedroom and about the courtyard. With how badly she was shivering, Sara-Li grabbed onto the cobalt colored cape and wrapped herself a bit within it.
Thunderhawk could feel her trembling there against his leg, prompting him to bend down to pick her up into his arms and wrap her a bit tighter in his cloak. “I promise, the longer you are here, the harder it’ll be to notice the cold.”
Upon making it to the dorm room area that he was aware Devon and his family was, Thunderhawk allowed himself into the main casual area before making it to the family’s bedroom door to knock upon it. “Devon?” Thunderhawk called as the knuckles of his gloves rapped upon the wood. “It is I, Thunderhawk, with Sara-Li.”
The door opened in no time at all to show the beige furred echidna there. Seeing his little girl safe and sound, he reached for Sara-Li to untangle her from the cape and take her back into his arms. “There you are, you little munchkin,” Devon smirked, kissing her cheek. “I was beginning to wonder when you’d get back.” Helping his daughter back down to her feet, he watched as she hurried over towards her mother, who appeared to be upon the bed trying to read to Cyrus.
“Devon?” Thunderhawk whispered between them, nodded towards the shared living space to those in that tower. “May I speak with you in private a moment?”
“Of course, my Lord,” Devon answered without hesitation. He shut the door behind him quietly, hoping that whatever it was Thunderhawk had to say wouldn’t put his family back out on the streets. “My daughter wasn’t that much of a bother, was she?” He joked lightly.
Thunderhawk shook his head with a brief laugh. “No, of course not,” he said as he made it over towards the circular well like creation in the middle of the room that poured forth a magical blue light all the way up the top of the tower. Upon making it to the cobblestone constructed formation, Thunderhawk offered the bag of items over to Devon.
“What’s this?” Devon asked as he took the sack to open it up and find a few full vials in a protective case with a bit of food as well. “My Lord…?”
“Sara-Li told me what brings you in such a dangerous position,” Thunderhawk answered, crossing his arms upon the stone before him. “Afraid I don’t know all too well what is causing your son’s respiratory issues, but I did have a few potions lying around that might be able to make it less likely to attack him in this climate. If he takes those potions, it should aid his lungs a bit to make them less likely to hinder his breathing.” He rolled his shoulders like the gesture was nothing. “Also, the food is for your family. I was able to pull out some of my rations for you to take, as you are feeding two growing children, and I can bother the cooking servants when I desire.”
Devon wasn’t sure what to say at first. Thunderhawk hardly knew them, and they weren’t even offering anything to the college in terms of magic let alone money, and yet Thunderhawk was willing to do so much. “You do so much for your people and even vagabonds like us,” Devon chuckled softly between them as he kept the bag close to his chest. “Is there anything I can do to repay it all, my Lord?”
Gazing back at the closed door, which would lead into the room Devon had for now, Thunderhawk smiled sincerely at the young man. “I think in time you will. We don’t have many healers here, and I have no doubt Sara-Li will be one of the best given what drives her to be so.”
Devon gazed back on the door as well before moving his wild, black hair out of his way. “She is my special little angel,” he admitted, feeling a bit guilty about everything he had dragged Sara-Li and Cyrus through just to find them a better life.
“Make Cyrus take one of those potions tonight,” Thunderhawk insisted, as he found the road of conversation running a bit thin. “See if it helps him a bit tomorrow by taking him outside after you give him another in the morning.” He shifted his focus about the handmade structure they were in with a soft sigh. “Afraid these old walls can only do so much for his condition.”
“Thank you, Lord Thunderhawk,” Devon praised, as he kept the items close to him still.
“One in the morning, and one at night,” Thunderhawk reminded the young man. “Got that? We’ll see if his body will keep up with it all as we continue onwards.” With that said he waved his farewell to Devon and made it back out into the courtyard to head back to his own training he didn’t have a chance to get to.
----
Cyrus didn’t feel any different when he had taken the potions as instructed by his father. When she saw her husband was intent on making sure that Cyrus did go outside, Jade-Li couldn’t deny she was quite nervous about all of this. “Are you sure we should do this?” Jade-Li asked Devon in private, not desiring for her son to collapse from lack of adequate air getting to him.
“I trust Lord Thunderhawk,” Devon answered without question, holding onto his lover’s upper arms. “He’s done a lot for us already. Why would you question him now?”
“Because that’s our son,” Jade-Li said in return, furrowing her brow with a submissive sigh. “But…fine. If anything happens to him, we are coming right back here without another question.”
“Of course, my love,” chuckled Devon as he opened the door to the bedroom to look inside to find Cyrus and Sara-Li appeared to be dressed and prepared to head out. “Are you two about ready to go?”
“I’m as ready as I’m going to be,” Cyrus admitted a bit nervously as he got to his feet while taking Sara’s hand within his own.
“You will let us know if something feels wrong, right?” Jade-Li wanted reassurance that her son wouldn’t hesitate to let her know when he started feeling ill. Cupping her son’s cheeks, she smiled at him briefly. “You know I just don’t want you to feel you have to brave it out for us.”
“Mom,” Cyrus began almost in a playful whine, “I’ll tell you if I cannot breathe still. I promise.”
“Lord Thunderhawk had told me he would be practicing with a group outside of the college for a bit anyways,” Devon went onwards to explain to his wife as they made it out of their room and slowly into the icy cold atmosphere. “If anything happens, I am sure he won’t hesitant to help us get quickly back to the college grounds.”
The courtyard was horribly restricted in regards to how the mages could practice, so Thunderhawk and the other mages would find themselves venturing just outside of Winterhold to train there. Devon carefully led his family through the village covered in snow and out to the nearby clearing just down the hill to the east.
Jade-Li had never seen mages work their magic so freely in such a way. It almost made her periwinkle fur stand on end at the sight of destruction magic being used in such ways that it melted the snow and or decimated trees. “Never knew mages could be so…powerful.”
Sara-Li didn’t appear put-off by what she was viewing. Any worry of it was displaced by a happy smile and a feverish wave at Thunderhawk, who she could see not far away from where they stood. “Thunderhawk!” She called, hurrying after the archer mage in hopes to get to him.
After letting the arrow fly to its target, Thunderhawk hummed in question as to who was calling for him at first until he saw Sara-Li heading towards him. “I was hoping you’d make it out here with your family,” said the guardian, as he lowered his bow before kneeling into the snow to meet Sara-Li.
Sara had never seen his bow actually shimmering before. She noticed that the swirling marks were shining a bright white light. “Your weapon is glowing,” Sara-Li pointed out, sounding a bit mystified by it.
“Mm?” Thunderhawk brought his bow back into sight, forgetting that it did that on occasion. “Ah, well, it’s enchanted with ice magic, my dear. It aids in my ice arrows that I hit my enemies with.”
“Did you enchant it yourself?” Jade-Li asked, as she made it closer to the elder, her hands clasped close to her chest in curiosity as well.
“I did,” answered the guardian as he got back to his feet. “It took quite a deal of work, but I managed. I was given the bow by my father, Sojourner, the King of Whiterun.” Turning his attention to Cyrus, he smiled at the young boy. “Are you feeling alright?”
“So far so good,” Cyrus admitted. He was almost finding himself at a loss for words regarding the thanks he should express to the King of Winterhold for everything he had done.
“Well, just let us know if something flairs up,” Thunderhawk insisted with a gentle tap to the boy’s upper arm. “I have mages here that can teleport you and your family back to the college.” Feeling the gentle tug on his bow, the lilac furred echidna looked down at Sara-Li to find her curiously rolling her fingers over the illuminated designs. “Did you want to try and shoot an arrow?”
Jade-Li couldn’t help but place her hand upon her chest to steady her heart, which threatened to leap into her throat at that suggestion. “Oh, I don’t know if that’s—!”
“I promise, my sweet Jade-Li, I won’t let anything happen to her,” Thunderhawk swore. “Besides, you can watch us, and you’re welcome to punch me if I harm her.”
Devon couldn’t help but laugh at the joking comment, even if Jade-Li shot a rather irritable glance at her husband. Apologizing through his laughter he attempted to settle, he held his wife close to his chest. “She’ll be fine as long as a professional archer is there beside her.”
Thunderhawk inwardly chuckled himself as the bow was bigger than Sara-Li anyways. Bending his body slightly so that he was at par with the young child, he situated the bow in her hands. “Hold it like this,” he instructed, keeping her left hand on the wooden, light-blue crafted center of the bow. “Now, take the arrow, and pull it against the string.” Thunderhawk was aware that, by herself, it would be impossible for her to put that much force against the string in her age, so he helped pull the arrow back with her hand upon the end of the projectile. He had his left hand upon her own as well to make sure that the arrow wouldn’t cause any burn marks against her fur in the process when it was to fly. “Are you ready?”
“I am ready!” Sara-Li said eagerly, wanting to see the arrow fly up close as she was.
“Alright, now, release,” Thunderhawk said simply, feeling her let go of the arrow at the same time he did. When the arrow hit the trunk of the tree as intended, the guardian looked down at Sara-Li with a chuckle. “You’re a natural. When you get older, I have no doubt you’ll be hitting marks better than myself.”
Giggling shyly at his comment, Sara-Li grabbed onto her emerald colored dress before hurrying over towards her parents. “Mommy, did you see that!” She exclaimed happily, reaching for her mother.
Able to breathe a sigh of relief, Jade-Li picked up her child and hugged her tightly with a kiss to her cheek. “I sure did, sweetie. You did a great job,” she praised, holding Sara-Li close to her chest.
“I better get back to training,” Thunderhawk said with a smile to the family. “You’re welcome to do as you please, but just stay close. Some of these mages are a bit unsteady with their aim, and I don’t want you to be in the way of that.” Drawing another arrow from his quiver, Thunderhawk took no time at all firing it back at the tree’s trunk.
“Let’s go have a look around then, yes?” Devon suggested to his family, as he wasn’t able to really enjoy the scenery when they arrived given their situation they were in beforehand.
“Can I stay here?” Sara-Li asked, looking between her parents. Seeing the confusion in her parent’s eyes, she looked back at Thunderhawk briefly before saying, “I just want to watch him train.”
“I will watch over her,” assured the guardian, as he saw the concern wrinkling the brow of her parents. “Just remember to come back to me if the medicine starts to show signs of weakening.” With the family finally reaching an agreement and promising Sara-Li they’d return in a moment, Thunderhawk watched as they made their way about the training space to get a better idea of what mages were capable of. “So, were you able to think about the book last night?” Thunderhawk asked, as he let another arrow fly to the trunk of the tree, splitting one of his other arrows in half in the process.
“Yes, but I am not sure how I will be able to con…conju—.”
Hearing Sara-Li struggle with the word, Thunderhawk corrected her as he drew another arrow. “Conjure,” he said simply as he put the arrow to the bowstring, “and you will. Don’t you dare doubt yourself.”
Sara-Li had sat down on the snow, bringing her knees to her chest with a curious tilt of her head. “Can you really breathe fire?” She asked, as she had yet to actually see him do it. “I know dragons can, as I have read about them some, but I didn’t think echidnas could.”
Thunderhawk looked at Sara-Li out of the corner of his eye with a smirk. “Do you want to see?” He asked. Seeing her feverishly nod, the guardian readied the arrow back on the bowstring in preparation to fire. Upon releasing it, he opened his mouth and expelled a harsh, red flame to engulf the end of the arrow before the arrowed head buried within the tree and lit it on fire.
Seeing the fire actually come from an echidna’s mouth, Sara-Li was in shock at the sight. Looking back up at Thunderhawk, she clapped her hands excitedly. “Again!” She begged, like it was a show she had a front row seat to.
Thunderhawk laughed at her excitement in the display before opening his mouth just a bit to allow the flames to steadily slide from his mouth before he had to stop in worry the flame might draft upwards and get his nose. “I can breathe an icy fire as well, but it’s harder for me to get a good hold onto. I’ve not practiced with it in some time,” he admitted, rubbing his brown beard to make sure he didn’t singe it again.
As the training persisted throughout the day, Thunderhawk found it to becoming quite late, and he figured it would be a good time more than any to retreat back to the college grounds. He hadn’t heard Cyrus’ breathing got out of control, also putting more relief on matters as he packed up his belongings and headed over to Sara-Li to pick her up into his arms. “Alright, let’s get you back to your family,” Thunderhawk said tenderly as he stroked the periwinkle hair of the child.
As Sara-Li lulled into his embrace, she found that the surrounding area was suddenly covered in shadow. Looking upwards at the sky, the fur on the child spiked in crippling fear as she screamed at the sight of an actual dragon hovering not far from the training grounds.
Turning around quickly to see the ice dragon there, preparing for an icy attack, Thunderhawk grabbed his cobalt cape to bring it up to block off the oncoming assault with the magical fabric, which was able to negate a majority of the hit. Thunderhawk could hear Sara-Li screaming and crying as she held onto him tightly. Growling at the ground shaking upon the massive beast landing finally, he hurried as quickly as he could to safety with the child even if he was doing his best to hide the pain that had stung his back from the dragon actually landing a blow.
“My baby!” Jade-Li exclaimed tearfully through the madness and fearful screams that followed from the mighty roar of the landing dragon. “Where is my baby!”
Thunderhawk was able to finally reach Jade-Li and Devon halfway, handing over Sara-Li as he was able to ready his bow. “Get out of here!” He demanded, whistling sharply for his steed he had nearby in the woods. “Head for the portals the conjuring mages are making, and get back to the college!” When his white stallion finally came into view, Thunderhawk grabbed onto the reins and hefted himself on the back of the horse without the creature stopping to wait for him.
Sara-Li watched through her fearful tears and her mother’s protective embrace as Thunderhawk road right towards the dragon, firing his arrows he engulfed with his flame breath before dismounting off of his horse not far from where the dragon was perched to have a flame war with the massive creature. She could see the ice and fire collide together in a power struggle before the scene disappeared and everything was replaced with the surrounding college.