Wings of Fire as Humans

Lost in Thought. And in the woods, unfortunately.

Greetings once again, folks! I have arrived with a new part, and one that took quite a lot out of me to write- there was just so much to do, so many loose ends to tie up, so why not hit most of those boxes in just one chapter? Today I present to you the many following elements: References to Qibli's lackluster backstory! Winter angst! Hurt/Comfort and talks about healthy boundaries! A group hug, again! Qibli finally getting to swear! Morrowseer slander! And, the JW reuniting with an old (and not very likeable) friend?? Perhaps one from the earliest chapters...;D Anyways, please, please, please vote if you enjoyed this chapter, and comment anything you have to say, it helps me so much more than you think, as my online reach has been rapidly deteriorating. As well as my happiness. But, regardless, I hope you enjoy this update, and have a very nice day! Thank you so much <3

People tend to throw around the phrase 'don't panic' quite a lot. But, at least in Qibli's experience, sometimes panic can be used to your advantage. He still remembered the way his mother had lectured him and his siblings, back before he'd been adopted by Thorn- about the fact that, whether it's an frightened shopper wondering why the alarm is going off, or a couple of disoriented tourists stopping for directions, panicked people are the easiest to scam. He winced just thinking about how small his world had been back then, when it seemed like he'd just been placed inside of a box that he'd have to live in for the rest of his life. He'd warmed up to Thorn pretty quickly, slipping all but seamlessly into the role of a normal suburban child once they'd moved to Pyrrhia, but at times, his mother's lessons on 'survival' still entered his mind, clouding his judgment. Especially that one.

Although, Qibli was pretty sure that when his mother talked about panic being good, she didn't mean a group of four unstable teenagers, left alone in the middle of the woods, absolutely losing their minds. Probably.

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This hysterical series of events had all started when he and the others had agreed to go with Vice Principal Morrowseer on a nature walk, hoping to stop him from meeting with Moon. After all, Moon was their friend, an she was Qibli's- oh god, he didn't even know what she was to him at this point - but regardless of how any of them felt about her, especially Qibli, it was simply the right thing to do. Through family troubles, middle-of-the-night facetime calls, dramatic raccoon encounters, and relationship crises, everyone in their bizarre little friend group had gotten support from one another when they needed it. Maybe Moon didn't want them mixed up in her own issues, but at this point, it was like an unspoken rule between all of them, doing anything to help each other when it seemed necessary. Logistically, it was a pretty stupid thing to do, going into the woods with only your (equally impulsive) friends and a man who was maybe abusive and definitely smelled like expired yogurt- but really, when had that ever stopped Qibli?

When the four of them had stepped into the woods with him, that was when the situation had really started going downhill. But then, the vice principal said something that stopped them all in their tracks.

"Once we return to the lodge, you will bring my daughter to me, won't you?"

Yeah, the situation had now fallen off of a cliff. And onto sharp rocks. And died a slow, agonizing death. Qibli had been dumbfounded. Frozen in place. How in the world did Morrowseer know, when they'd gone to such lengths to make sure he didn't? And it seemed like all the others were thinking the exact same thing- except maybe Peril, who was probably just disappointed she wouldn't be able to get away with attacking the guy anymore. But it didn't matter, because now, no matter what they tried, the situation was helpless.

Don't panic. Yeah, right.

As the four children stood, practically petrified, in the middle of the trail, exchanging worried glances, Qibli's mind twisted. Through the torrent of his own thoughts, he could make out the fact that Morrowseer, as well as his younger companion, were slowly getting further away, smaller and smaller in his vision. Good. If that man would just leave, and never come back, everything would be much better.