Archive of Our Own

Wilbur Soot never intended to run away from his troop, from the war he was meant to fight in. But he nearly died, and then immediately after received the news that his home kingdom had been destroyed in the process of this nasty fight between nations across the world. According to the messenger, everyone had died- his mother had to be gone. 

His home was gone. 

He didn't want to fight in a war that ended like that. 

So he ran. With a pentagram tattoo between the corner of his left eye and his temple, and a 'x' scar on the tip of his nose, he ran until he was sure he wasn't being followed. With nothing but a notebook and a few glass potion bottles in a leather messenger bag, and a dagger in his sheath, he escaped. With shame and a loose non-plan, he abandoned the thing that occupied nearly four years of his life: being a man of war. 

And all he was asking for how was a peaceful place to settle. Preferably a little village with a loose government and fellow witches who'd respect him. There was a million of them across the globe, and he'd trek until he found one that'd take him in. 

He was done with complicated fighting and schemes. He wanted to live the simple life he would've if he never left his kingdom to fight. 

Tommy Whatever-His-Last-Name-Was didn't mean to run away from his village either. It wasn't his choice actually, he barely remembers the event that led to the whole ordeal. The point was, he was alone now, a teenager adventurer visiting many different communities solely to cause chaos and survive.  

He lived in a tree house deep in the Elementic Wood, a forest that was really a bunch of loosely connected forests that spanned across a decent chunk of the world. It was spread across so many kingdoms and villages that you'd think people wouldn't consider it 'one forest' anymore. Anyways, if you didn't know where to find people, you should hike through the Elementic, you'd stumble across a community eventually. 

The Elementic Forest, and it's properties of being...big, is what brought Wilbur and Tommy together. Tommy lived in the forest, and Wilbur was using it to find somewhere to go. Wilbur was sheltered and only knew where kingdoms involved in the war were, and Tommy was a teenage traveler who'd been on his own, scouting out everywhere, for the past few years. It just made sense that they'd end up working together, really. 

When Wilbur spotted smoke in the sky after hiking for a day or so, he thought that maybe he had gotten lucky- maybe he had found a village already. He had spotted the smoke drifting away from a nice house, with a pretty brick chimney full of witches in a town that had an extremely cheap hotel. But that's not how the world worked. 

When he finally tracked down the source of the smoke, after hours of hiking in a vague direction, all he found was a...humble little tree house. It was homely, sure, and enough to survive if necessary- but he hoped it wouldn't be. The tree house wasn't much of a tree house, really, it was like a little hut build atop the stump of what used to be a thick and tall magic berry tree. 

There wasn't even any doors, just a faded version of what was once a colorful crochet blanket acting as a curtain. Vines creeped up the walls and roof, and flowers and mushrooms stuck themselves everywhere. It wasn't too small, Wilbur supposed, but it would be if more than one person had to live in it. 

There was a little path, made up of flat rocks, crystals, and pebbles, leading to the fire place and the little wooden rocking chair. It looked like it was built by a child, really. There was a sign in front of the porch steps/short ladder that read 'Tommy's House!' in berry-dyed homemade paint. 

Wilbur wasn't impressed, but he was tired, so he set his bag down and lowered himself into the rocking chair. This was definitely some rich kingdom kid's fancy playhouse, not someone's actual home, he reasoned in his head. He could hear the sounds of running water nearby, indicating a river. 

He thought vaguely about retrieving a bottle of some sort, but decided then that he just needed a moment. 

He didn't get a moment. 

"Oi! This is my base- who the fuck are you?" an annoyed voice appeared out of nowhere, causing him to jump from his seat. His eyes landed on a tall-but-shorter-than-him curly haired blonde, with striking blue eyes and freckles across his cheeks and nose. He had pointed ears, similar to an elf but not quite (fairies were distantly related to elves, so the resemblance made sense), one of which had a series of gold rings and charms hanging from the end. Either he had really good clip ons or his ear was pierced quite a few times. 

His hair was nearly long enough to pull back into a ponytail, falling over his forehead in twirls and surrounding his ears nicely. The most striking part of him, though, was his clothes and wings. He wore a baggy t-shirt- white with red sleeves, and loose dark pants that he held up with a belt, a few rips and holes adorning the fabric in the knees. Wilbur could barely make out his combat-type boots that definitely made up and inch or two of his height, just slightly peeking out from the pants that were too long. He wore bracelets and rings, too, just a few leather and bronze ones. 

And his wings, well, they were beautiful. Wilbur had heard stories about the new and improved evolved fairies, the ones that could shapeshift between their original, tiny pixie-like form and a larger, more human-like form. Not all species of fairies were like that, and a lot of them were just half-fairies who's genetics merged together. No matter what, Wilbur had never met one- he had never seen wings like this, in a size where he could really appreciate their beauty. 

They were cream colored, and translucent, like thin and delicate crystals. They sparkled with these slight gold highlights in the creases of the 'crystal' base. They couldn't really be made of crystals, right? They were shaped like those on a Eastern Comma, just a bit more pointed near the top, just wide enough that they couldn't hide behind his back when they were extended. 

"Hello? Who are you?" the boy repeated himself. 

"Um- sorry. Wilbur Soot, I was just hiking and needed a moment, so I sat. I assumed-" he was cut off before he could figure out how to finish that sentence. 

"Are you fighting in the war?" Tommy questioned, looking him up and down, just like he did to him a moment prior. 

"Yeah- or, I was. I ran, I'm trying to find a nice village to settle in." he replied, picking his bag back up as the blond, presumably the Tommy that owned this place, slowly came closer and set down the wooden bucket he carried on the ground. When he got closer, it became clear that he was young, an older child or younger teenager, maybe? The fairy aging system was a bit different, so it wasn't easy to tell. 

"Do you live here?" he asked after a moment of the kid staring at him. 

"Yeah, the wood nymphs built it for me, I fixed it up. You like it?" he questioned, motioning around him as if the hut was a palace. 

"Sure, it's...cute." he looked around, noticing little details about the place. There was a laundry line hanging between two trees a few feet to the left of the hut, some knick-knacks were scattered about, and a stack of books sat next to the rocking chair. He was a collector, it seemed. 

"Thanks, it's home." Tommy shrugged gently, before looking at him again. "Are you headed somewhere specific, or...?" 

"No, just trying to find somewhere to go. I might travel for a while." 

The kid seemed to have an internal debate as he looked at him, before groaning. "The nearest village is about an hour away, and the hotel there sucks. You can stay here for the night and you can come with me in the morning. I'm heading to a witches town to purchase...a thing. If you don't like it there, you can buy a map and get somewhere else on your own." 

"Really?" Wilbur asked, suspicious of the offer. "I'm specifically searching for a witch community, it'd be perfect, I'm sure." 

"Yeah, as long as you promise not to kill me or something. And you have to sleep on the floor." 

"This is the best I'll get," he joked, thankfully. He felt a bit bad for his judgements on the little home now that it was his only real option. He looked to the bucket, "Is that water?" 

"From the river, yeah. It's enchanted by the witches in the town I'm headed too, and it runs all through this part of the forest, so it's sort of healing! Would you like some magic-tree tea? Or just water? Or berry dessert potion? It's the only potion I know how to make!" the kid sounded energetic rather than skeptical now. 

"That's not really a potion though, is it? It doesn't have any magical properties." 

"It does when you make it with this water." Tommy pointed out, "Lightly healing berry-sugar juice is the technical term, though, I guess." 

Wilbur laughed, for the first time in a while- he laughed. Because some blond fairy kid he didn't know offered him a place to stay and some fruit dessert he hadn't had since before he entered the war. Before he knew it, they were drinking berry dessert 'potion' over the newly rekindled fire, Wilbur sitting on a little stool as they talked. 

"So, how old are you?" Tommy eventually asked. 

"I just turned 22. What about you? You look kinda young to be out here by yourself, but I know fairies age weirdly, right?" Wilbur wasn't gonna say it, but he acted young too. He was mature, and pretty smart, sure- but he was definitely a kid. You could tell by the way he pull at the end of his shirt when he didn't know what to say, his mannerisms were just...kid-ish.  

"I'm only half fairy, so I age similarly to a human or witch. I'm fifteen, though." 

"That is young. Have you always lived out here?" he was trying to be nice to the kid, despite the fact that he was annoying and hyper and nearly overly-friendly. He was a kind kid who was offering him the help he needed to start the next part of his life, Wilbur could deal with typical childish habits if that's what it took. 

"I don't really remember life before I did, but no. I lived in a village somewhere, with my parents- I think. It's not clear up here," he laughed a bit, tapping his temple, before swiftly moving on despite how many questions that immediately brought up. "My other half is elemental witch, y'know. My mom was a water witch." 

"Yeah? Mine was an earth one." Wilbur respected his clear want not to get into whatever he was avoiding, going with the new conversation. 

"And your dad?"

"That's irrelevant." 

If the kid could dodge questions about his past, he could too. Tommy's eyes filled with curiosity, but just like him, he respected his want not to talk about it. They fell into a weirdly comfortable silence, considering the fact they just met. 

"Have you eaten? I have a salad made of cooked down magic tree leaves, berries, and cut up slices of chicken. I can pick the chicken out if you're like vegetarian or vegan or some shit?" the blonde jumped up suddenly, scattering to go get him some food. Wilbur laughed (again), allowing himself to show an endearing smile, 

"I'm fine with chicken, thanks." 

"Cool, awesome! Let me get you a plate," he offered, running down the path and disappearing into his house. Wilbur heard some clanking and crashing of glass before he came back out with what was once a white crystal plate, but was now covered in purple-pink stains from a while of eating magic berries on it. He had put a decent serving of this salad on it, holding it out to the man. The fork was made of wood, the fairy had probably carved it himself. 

"Thanks, kid." he set his cup of berry dessert potion on the ground in front of him and took the meal into his lap. He hadn't eaten in a day, at least, so the food was gone pretty quickly. The blonde stared at him intensely, as if waiting to hear what he thought. "You're a good little cook. Is this your own recipe?" 

"Sorta- I added in the chicken and seasoning, but the base comes from one of the Kinoko Societies! It's real easy to make, this whole part of the forest is full of ever-growing magic giant trees." The kid had this huge dorky smile, as if he had accomplished something great. 

"You're good at using your resources," Wilbur commented as he took one of his last bites, "Those are some great survival skills."

"Thank you. I've learned a lot over the past few years." 

"Past few years? How long have you been on your own?" he knew he sounded way too concerned for a child he just met, but it was concerning. Fairies and water witches held a lot of magic, sure, but if they met one mean witch who specialized in fighting, or fire- or a vampire who wasn't very friendly, they didn't stand a chance. And a fairy child? 

Well, it made Wilbur wonder how he was still standing. 

Tommy thought for a moment, "Two and a half years, maybe? Foggy memory, y'know." he joked again, "I was at least 13 when I left my village." 

He shrugged it off, as if this wasn't a big deal. Wilbur sighed. 

The kid seemed to be doing fine enough out here, but it was worrying. He didn't know why he cared so much, maybe because the kid had been so kind to him- but he didn't want to just go their separate ways when they got to this witch town. Wilbur would make sure someone was watching over him, he decided. He'd get him a job in the town- or just find some kind witch to take him in. 

Wilbur would make sure he wasn't alone. 

--

The ex-war man woke up to the sound of soft cursing coming from outside the little tree house, by the fire pit. He rolled over with a slight groan before sitting up and taking in his surroundings. The inside of the hut wasn't too complicated, there was a 'bed' (it was more of a comfy nest) in the corner, an enchanted wooden ice box the boy had probably worked hard to bewitch, some cabinets stocked with dishes that didn't match each other at all, and a table with just one chair. 

It looked like the rocking chair outside, as if Tommy had built it himself. 

There was a long table against one wall, underneath the cabinets, acting as a counter. It held jars and baskets of different ingredients and items, like tree leaves, berries, sugar, and seasonings he had probably made himself. There was also a basket of rocks and crystals, and a jar of shiny jewelry and knick-knacks he had picked up from who-knows-where. Beneath the table, where was a few laundry hampers filled with clothes, extra blankets, and fabrics he held onto for whatever reason. 

Different tapestries, art pieces, and photos covered the walls, especially right over his little nest. If Wilbur didn't know any better, he'd walk in and assume he was looking at the home of a child bird-hybrid. Next to the 'door', there was a few nails that hung up a leather drawstring backpack and a coat that was likely too big for the boy. 

There wasn't any windows or electrical lighting, the boy had just lit a few candles when it got dark and daylight snuck through the door easily when the sun rose. 

And finally, there was a bookshelf on the same wall as the door, with journals and novels he had collected, and some bigger things he had snagged from different villages. Like wooden figures and small sculptures, and pretty plants and flowers he took care of. 

Wilbur smiled at the sight, just a little, before pulling himself from the floor where he slept on top of and with a few of the extra blankets the boy had. He walked up to the door and pulled the crochet blanket-curtain back to see Tommy leaning over the fire place, his frying pan having fallen into the fire. 

"You alright?" Wil chuckled at the sight. This kid was an endearing disaster, honestly.  

"No!" the blonde huffed, kicking at the dirt in frustration, "My levitation spell didn't stick and now our breakfast's burning!" 

"Here," Wilbur offered, jumping to the ground level instead of using the ladder, holding his hand out and focusing. In just a moment, the pan (and the eggs) were floating just above the flames again. "Work with me for a slight reversal spell, yeah?" 

Tommy nodded, joining the other in outstretching his hand out toward the pit, seemingly focusing as he took a deep breath. In a handful of moments, it was like the pan never fell again, and the eggs were raw once more. The blonde gasped, "I've never been able to do that before!" 

"I can't even pull off that spell on my own, it messes with time and is therefore significantly harder than anything else. Especially without a magic aid," Wilbur told him. "Are these chicken eggs?" 

"No, they're Mini-Dragon eggs. They taste better, I promise," he told him. "They'll be done in like, ten minutes. You can try to find some clean clothes if you want? You might be able to find some big enough for you if you look hard enough." 

Wilbur nodded gently, "Are we heading out after breakfast?" 

"Yep!" Tommy said, popping the 'p' as he leaned down to pick up a seasoning jar. He sprinkled it over the slowly-cooking eggs. "We're heading to one of the Kinoko Societies, it's a town called Autmile- it was originally founded by nature witches during Autumn, hence the name. It's decently big, it has a pretty waterfall, and they stay out of wars. There's also barely a government, one that only really exists to keep everything peaceful and nothing else." 

"You know a lot about this place. Did you live there?" 

"No, I just remember what I learn about different places." he shook his head, seemingly a bit tense. He didn't wanna talk about where he came from. "Go find some clothes so that you're ready in time to eat." he reminded. 

"Right," Wilbur clicked his tongue before turning and heading back to the tree house. 

By the time he dawned some new clothes, a yellow sweater (which was seemingly one of the only tops Tommy had without two slits in the back for his wings) and dark brown pants, the food was ready. They sat around the fire and ate, sipping on some magic leaf tea the blonde had somehow found time to brew fresh for them. "How far is this Autmile place?" Wilbur questioned after a bit. 

"A day long hike for you, maybe? I usually fly for the first few hours, but you don't have wings, so it'll be a bit longer. We shouldn't have to camp out or anything, though." Tommy told him. The boy now wore a black tank-top, showing off his skinny arms, paired with jeans covered in embroidered flowers. 

"Did you do all that yourself?" Wilbur asked, motioning to the outfit. 

"Oh, yeah," the kid nodded, pulling at the fabric of the pants for a moment, "I picked it up in one of the Kinoko Society kingdoms." 

"Okay, I've been pretending I know what you're talking about when you talk about this Kinoko Organization or whatever- but I don't." Wilbur admitted. 

"Oh! It's like a list of peaceful communities that mostly stay out of war and are 'safe for families'. You have to meet certain requirements to be added to the list, but it's mostly just about being safe, peaceful, and somewhere you can easily settle into. There's villages, towns, kingdoms, communes, basically anything." Tommy explained. 

That's why Wilbur didn't know about it. They were the people who avoided the war, and all he knew was war. "That's nice, it's a way to just see where all the safe places are, then?" Wilbur inquired as he took a bite. 

"Mhm, I mostly stick to the Kinoko Societies when I travel. It's safer that way." he said, taking a sip of his drink. "Anyways, I have a map to Autmile, so as long as we follow it, we'll get there by sundown."

"Sounds lovely, Tommy. Thanks for this." 

"Of course." 

It was probably about an hour later when they headed out, having packed their bags with enough food for a day, a change of clothes, water in case they lost track of the river, and some crystals Tommy insisted they carried for 'good luck'. Also, Tommy brought some coins with him to purchase whatever he was trying to get out of Autmile. 

The blonde carried a notebook and pen, too, explaining that he stored his maps in the pages. "Do you draw your own maps, then?" Wilbur questioned. 

"Sometimes! Most villages will sell ones of their area for cheap, too." Tommy replied, pulling a compass from his pocket and glancing at it. "Okay, our best bet is to find the river and follow it up stream, we can avoid going through any other communities or any of the major wildlife ecosystems that way, and there's a pretty flower field we'll hit in a few hours that we can rest in." 

"You have this entire forest memorized, or something?" Wilbur asked, stepping over a rock. He had put a simple protection spell over the boy's base as a 'thank you', and he used his nature magic to make sure the land around the area grew some nice, edible plants, just in case Tommy did insist on coming back. Sure, his magic berry salad was delicious, but a young witch should have a more diverse diet. 

"Well, not the whole forest. The Elementic is huge!" 

"Fair point," he chuckled, ducking under a low hanging branch. This boy was quick and it was almost hard to keep up with him. "Can you tell me more about this town? I'm hoping to settle there and I don't want to seem too unfamiliar with the place." 

"Hmm, well, the whole town is just a biiiiig square with some outliers, and it's all surrounded by forest. The founders built the whole place on top of a clearing that was already there, they hated the idea of cutting down any trees. The middle of the square is the market place, that's where the school houses, main playground, and most of the shops are. It has a slightly weird lay out, but the people there are kind enough to give you any directions you might need.

"Past the market place, there's two main neighborhoods on the East and West sides of the town, with a bit of a rivalry between them. It's all peaceful, but there's two main schools and different sports teams for each side of town, and a lot of general competition, y'know? Respectful duels are common, but there are very strict rules to avoid anyone actually getting hurt. Then there's mostly farms scattered throughout the forest closest to the North and South sides of town, and a few training centers too. If you don't wanna work in the main market place, getting a job with a farmer might be a good idea."

"Are you sure you've never lived in this town?" 

"I stayed there for a few weeks when I broke my leg once, but I left as soon as this person named Puffy would let me. I'm just a quick learner, really," he told him. "It's a nice place, though. You'll like it, I think." 

"Then how come you don't settle there? Why do you stay in the woods?" Wilbur was hesitant to ask, but he was curious, so he pushed through it. 

The blonde shrugged, pausing to listen for water before walking and talking again. "The longer I stay somewhere, the more people ask where my family is. It's easier to just get what I need, have some fun, and then go home. People don't ask questions if I just say I'm a traveler, they assume I'm always headed back to my parents." 

"But if you stay somewhere, some nice family could take you in." 

"I like being on my own," Tommy insisted. "It's...nice." 

He didn't sound confident in his own words, but Wilbur dropped it. "Do you have a job, or anything?" 

The blonde shook his head, "Sometimes I'll pick up some small jobs while traveling to save up money, most of the Kinoko Societies use the same currency, but I don't stick with them. I mostly just gather what I need from the Elementic." 

"And what is it you need to go to Autmile for that you can't just make yourself?" 

"Objection, that's irrelevant." 

"But-"

"Oh, look! It's the river!" 

Wilbur rolled his eyes at his avoidance, but he followed him. The kid was still annoying, but he was endearing in a way the man couldn't quite place. 

Plus, he couldn't be too critical of his 'lone wolf' mentality or his hesitance to trust without being considered a hypocrite. So, he trailed after him through the Elementic Wood, hoping he'd talk this kid out of being alone by the end of this journey. 

--

"Look, it's the flower field!" the blonde cheered childishly after insisting that they were 'almost there' for at least an hour, checking his map and compass repeatedly as if the field was the main attraction of their trip. To be fair, it was quite pretty. "I love these- love da purple ones!" he braced himself before flying off, causing Wilbur to laugh. The brunette watched him glide  over the field, looking down in wonder as if the land was made of magic. 

To be fair, it sort of was. That was the charm that came with the Elementic Wood 

The river trailed the edge of the field and continued after it, perfectly avoiding the flowers. 

The man carefully walked out into the field, looking forward to taking a seat and maybe eating something, they were way past due for lunch at this point. "You gonna come down, blondie?" he shouted up at the boy who was somehow even higher in the sky than just a moment before.  

"No way!" 

"You have most of the food in your bag!" Wilbur pointed out. The boy had rigged up the bag so that it was tied around his waist and just hung there, and the brunette had no idea how that could possibly be comfortable, especially while flying. 

"Oh, fine!" Tommy acted annoyed, but he had a smile on his face, lowering to the ground in a semi-graceful way that ended in him almost falling. "Sorry, I'm probably pretty bad at flying for a fairy." he admitted, looking around. 

"There's a clear patch over there, we can set up a picnic and be on our way within the next hour. Does that sound good?" Wilbur suggested, earning a nod. "Also, your flying is fine. Have you had training?" 

"Not any I can recall, no. I'm entirely self taught, baby!" 

They laughed together as they reached the clear patch. Tommy pulled a piece of fabric from nowhere, seemingly, for them to sit on. They set to work preparing some more of that salad from the night prior, along with some water he attempted to magic ice-cubes into but only succeeded in creating a few ice pebbles. He was still getting ahold of his aquatic-based abilities, it seemed. 

Tommy was done eating in no more than ten minutes, immediately running off to gather some flowers. "What're you doing?" Wil asked, following the creature with his eyes as he zipped around quickly across the field and overhead. 

"Flower crowns!" he announced simply, plopping back down in front of him, setting out multiple colors of flowers. "I'll make you one with the yellow n'- the yellow and white ones! Is that okay?" 

Wilbur knew he would've called this 'annoying' just last night, but it was different coming from Tommy now that he's spent nearly a day by his side. It was nice to see him smile. It was sweet. "Of course! What colors will yours be?" 

"Purple n'...light green." he decided, pointing to the tiny green flowers he had plucked for himself. The man wouldn't usually accept a flower crown from a child, but now he was actively encouraging it, despite the fact that it was dorky and childish. 

"I can't wait to see what it looks like."

And he wasn't lying. He wanted to genuinely see what the kid made, just so he could compliment it and wear it proudly, because he got this fairy kid to like him enough, to trust him enough, to make him a flower crown. It felt like something he should appreciate so much. 

He kept eating as the boy set to work, cleaning up the plates and dishes once he was done on his behalf, packing them away into Tommy's bag (which was bigger than it looked from the outside, it was likely a slight illusion charm) and the kid spoke excitedly about nature. 

"I love flowers, n' plants! Is pretty." 

Wilbur could've sworn his voice didn't sound like that half an hour ago. "Yeah? I like daisies." 

"Daisies are nice." Tommy hummed. "Here, is ready!" he held out a simple little head-piece, the stems threading it all together. Quickly, Wilbur put an everlasting charm on the little object, to keep the flowers from dying for longer, before leaning down so the kid could place it on his head. 

The fairy gasped dramatically, "It's so pretty!" he flapped his hands with a giggle. "Okay, it's time to make mine." 

"And then we gotta head out, okay?" Wilbur reminded gently. 

"Yeah, yeah, I knooow." he whined, "Right after dis." 

The brunette crinkled his eyebrow. The kid was acting even more...well, like a kid, than before. It was cute, sure, but definitely a little confusing. He didn't comment on it, just making a mental note to keep an eye on him through the rest of the trip. 

True to his word, the creature willingly helped pack up everything once his crown was atop his head, following Wilbur back to the river as they resumed their trek to the town of Autmile. Tommy was quiet for a while, flying just a few feet above the ground a bit ahead of him, making sure not to loose track of his new friend. 

Eventually, he came back down to the ground and started speaking again, at some point just dropping the whole 'extra childish' thing. He seemed a bit tense, as if he was worried Wilbur would bring it up, so the man figured that he wouldn't. Instead he asked, hesitant and unsure,

"Do you experience some sort of amnesia?" 

"What?" The blonde snapped his head up, sounding a bit panicked. 

"You mention a lack of memory every time you talk about your past. Do you have memory problems?" 

"Not currently- I just have a hard time remembering anything before thirteen, okay?" he sighed, as if he was already tired by this conversation topic. 

"How come?" Wilbur questioned, as carefully as he knew how. 

"I lived with my parents in a village until I was thirteen, when my community was attacked by some team making a point in the war." he stated. The man faltered, 

"You didn't-" He was cut off by a solemn nod. 

One of the most inhumane aspects of war was the village take downs, targeted attacks against communities in non-war zone areas, and the most inhumane element of those attacks was harming the children who lived there. A lot of them were killed, but sometimes- they'd get hit with curses instead.

Such as a memory curse. 

These curses could be reversed if they were treated by a healer within a few hours, but after that, there wasn't a lot that could be done about them. 

"I remember that I was outside when it happened, my house just- it fucking collapsed, and I knew my parents were inside. But I was scared, so I tried to run, and some lady just stared me down before throwing a curse my way. Suddenly, I had no idea what was going on, who I was, where I was. All I knew is that I was in danger, so I darted off into the Elementic Wood and just ran until I couldn't anymore." 

Just like Wilbur did yesterday. 

"And you couldn't get it reversed in time?" 

"Nope. I slowly remembered certain things, like my first name, vague images of who my parents were. I could recall that I was half-fairy, half-witch, but none of my childhood training. I remembered the date of my own birthday after a month in the woods." 

"I'm- I'm sorry, Tommy." he felt irrationally angry for the blonde, as if he was capable of tracking down the specific lady that cursed him and doing something about it.

It was heartbreaking, really. This kid had little to no memory of his life before turning 13, he didn't remember his own childhood. "It's fine. The wood nymphs took a liking to me, they built me the tree house and taught me some survival skills, and then I started traveling and picking up new skills and talents along the way. It was hard at first, but I like it now." 

"I'm glad you found a way to be happy after all that." Wilbur told him, genuinely. "Do you think you'll ever try to settle into a community? You could find someone to train you." 

"I- ... I don't know. Staying in one place long term sounds...weird, to me. As far as I remember, it's always been a life of running around and coming back to base for a while, before heading out again." He admitted. 

"You could still be a traveler, your home could just be somewhere with other people instead of a tree house in the middle of the forest. And the tree house will always be there to visit, too." he tried to make it sound as appealing as possible. Wilbur didn't like the idea of sending him back into the forest without a second thought in the next few hours, and he kind of wanted to keep him nearby. He didn't want to admit it, but he liked this kid.

Tommy stared down at his boots for a bit before speaking up again. 

"Y'know, I like you a lot. I don't think I've ever explained the memory thing to anyone besides the wood nymphs, and certain animal friends." he chuckled at his own words, licking his lips before continuing, "And when I realized you were a war man, I was very unsure about helping you because one thing I remember so clearly about the attack against my original village was that it was a war troop, but I trust you for some reason. Isn't that crazy?" 

"A little, maybe. My troop wasn't like that, by the way." Wilbur hoped he believed him. 

"Why'd you run from your troop, then?" Tommy managed to turn the conversation around entirely in just a few words. 

"Irrelevant." The witch tried. 

"I told you my dark backstory, tell me yours." the blonde pushed, shoving his hands into his pockets and bumping his side playfully, "Only if you want too, though." 

Wilbur sighed dramatically. "I fought in a battle the other night, and it nearly killed me. My whole face was slit open, and we were able to heal most of the wound but it left this," he pointed to the scar on the tip of his nose. "I was gonna push through but then I got the news that my home kingdom was attacked, and I had no where to go back to if I kept fighting. So-" 

"You ran. I get it. And now you're trying to find a new home. I'm really glad I could help you with that," Tommy cut him off. "I have a deal for you, if you're interested." 

"Okay?" Wilbur sounded skeptical, but he listened. 

"I'll stay in Autmile with you for a bit, help you get settled and such. And you can help train my magic in return. How does that sound?" The blonde seemed to brace himself for rejection, and a smile spread across his face when that wasn't the result. 

"It sounds lovely, Toms."

--

Following the river led them to the noises of a bustling town; children screaming playfully, adults laughing loudly, the whooshing and wishing of magic flying through the air. And the noises of a bustling town led them to a path, which led them to buildings, which led them into a town square, where the heart of the town was alive even though the sun was setting. 

Candles lit up the place, music filled every corner of this social spectacular, and the smell of cooking meat filled the air. It was clearly a tight knit community, and Wilbur loved the idea of being part of it. A small, safe pocket of the world, entirely filled with witches just like him. 

It was a dream come true, really. 

"Oh my god." Wilbur smiled, spinning around as he took it all in. Water and flying swirled around witches who wanted to show off, and salesmen showed off their products. A dance team moved in sync, controlling the fire that swayed around them with expertise. Athletic kids flew around on enchanted broomsticks, throwing balls to each other in some sports game with loose rules.

In contrast to the brunette's excitement, Tommy seemed a little overwhelmed immediately, moving to stand closer to his new friend. "It is pretty cool, isn't it?" the blonde was smiling too, despite the fact that this was clearly a lot for him. The brunette gave him a concerned look. "I'm okay, I swear. It just takes me a minute to readjust to big communities after I've been in at my base for a while. I do like it here." 

"Here," Wilbur held out his hand, giving a soft, understanding look, "So you don't get lost." he explained, hoping the kid bought the explanation. He really just wanted to offer some comfort. Tommy seemed hesitant, but he took the offer. 

"Let's get a hotel room." he insisted, pulling him in one direction, clearly knowing what he was doing, and very eager to get away from the main crowd. He quickly got them to a fairly big building a few turns away from the town square, which was advertised as the 'Community Center' on all of it's signs. 

"This is the hotel?" Wilbur asked, letting his eyes scan over what looked like a small, stereotypical stone and wood castle. It seemed a little out of place and very attention grabbing amidst the simple brick and wood shops that surrounded it, but that wasn't a bad thing. It was pretty, and it only made the man wonder what the inside looked like.  

"Well, it has a hotel in it. It's a basic training center, town hall, doctor's office, and an inn, all in one. It can also double as a church in a hurry," Tommy explained, "A sheep hybrid named Puffy runs it. She'll make sure we get in a room." 

They headed into the building, which was friendly and energetic chaos, just like the town square. In one direction, there was what looked like a demon hybrid training a group of teenagers in fire and fighting magic, and in another, there was an arts and crafts lesson for toddler-aged witches. 

"Now, focus all of your energy into your hands, and imagine the flames at your fingertips. Envision your body pulling the energy from your atmosphere, and feel the heat building up..." 

"Now, kiddos- take the glue stick and your cut out butterfly and stick it to the paper!" 

Directly in front of them, though, was a large desk with a bored-looking witch behind it. 

This man had brown hair, and he wore very...human clothes, a hoodie with a colorful spiral design on it. He was flipping through a spell book until Tommy and Wilbur approached him. "I've never seen you 'round here before," he said once he glanced up, looking between the two newcomers with curiosity. 

"We've only just arrived." Wilbur told him kindly, "We just need a room to stay in for a few days while we get settled." 

"Ah- well, welcome to Autmile, then. We don't get newcomers often." this man set his spell book to the side (Wilbur caught a glimpse of the title- Time Magic, really? Everyone knew that was the hardest kind of witchcraft to learn, especially without magic by blood to help you.), picking up a clipboard and quill. "Names?" 

"Wilbur and Tommy." The blonde said. 

"I need a last name," he insisted. His name tag read 'Karl', without a last name, ironically. 

"Soot." Wilbur told him, looking to his friend, waiting for him to announce his. The blonde looked panicked, shrugging. 

He must've lost it with the curse. 

"Him too. We're brothers," the brunette lied after another moment. He tried to move on, "How much will this cost? We don't have much money." 

"Uh-" Karl hesitated, flipping through papers on the desk to figure it out. A lack of newcomers meant a lack of people who actually checked into the hotel rooms, no one had those prices memorized.

"Don't worry about it, boys," another voice cut into the conversation, causing them all to look towards the stairs that flooded down into the main floor. She must've been Puffy, Wilbur could make out her horns, and the thin layer of woolly fur he had near her wrists. She wore an off-white blouse tucked into black pants, all paired with heeled boots. 

All she needed was coat and a hat and she'd be a pirate. She walked with the confidence only someone that ran an establishment like this could, Wilbur had a feeling she was this town's catch-all mother figure. It just made sense to him. 

She came to stand behind Karl at the desk. "Hello, Puffy!" Tommy sounded relieved to see a familiar face. 

"It's nice to see you, Tommy Soot." she raised her eyebrow briefly at the last name as she read it off the clipboard, like she knew better but wasn't going to question it. "No one checks out the rooms anyways, you can have it free of charge for a few nights, as long as you're willing to help out around here. C'mon." 

Wilbur figured they were headed up the stairs she came down from, but instead, she led them down a hall to the right and down a spiral staircase, into a well lit basement with a nice lobby. It was full of teenagers and young adults, some of which drank out of mugs and bottles and ate off of pretty-looking plates some artsy witch nearby had likely handmade.

Everyone in the lobby was staring at them, already talking about the arrival of newcomers. There weren't any fairies in sight, so a lot of them were focused and the younger boy's wings. Wilbur felt bad, it was easy to hide his non-human traits, but it wasn't so simple for the blonde. Tommy squeezed his hand, which reminded the brunette that they were still holding hands. He didn't pull away, hoping his returning squeeze was some variation of comforting and calming.

There were numbered doors on all of the walls, and Puffy led them to the one labeled '008'. It was made of a dark, smooth wood. The woman unlocked the door and let them inside, "Just get some sleep and find me in the meal hall tomorrow morning. I'll put you two to work." she smiled at them as they entered the simple but pretty room, full of deep reds, creams, and splashes of orange. There were two beds, and a bookshelf stocked with a large selection of different novels against one wall. 

Another door probably led to a bathroom, and there was a dresser at the end of each bed, too. 

"Thank you, Puffy." Tommy told her before she left, earning a nod that seemed to say 'of course' without as many words before she shut the door. 

The blonde immediately let go off his hand and hoped onto the bed closest to the door. Once he was seemingly comfy, he looked at his fellow traveler with wide eyes, as if he had done something entirely absurd, or as if he had grown a second head. "Brothers, really?" he questioned. 

"We sort of look alike! And we were holding hands, it's not that unbelievable!" Wilbur laughed (this kid was quite good at making that happen, wasn't he?), making his way to the other bed. 

"Is that the story then, we're brothers who're traveling together?" The boy didn't seem to mind the idea, he was just curious. In fact, he had a smile on his face, like he enjoyed the idea more than he let on. 

"I mean, it would help with people asking about your family while you're here." he pointed out, taking off his messenger bag and setting it on top of the dresser as he spoke. 

"I guess." Tommy hummed, settling his head onto one of the pillows on his bed. "M' sleepy." he admitted. 

"We should shower before we sleep, Toms." Wilbur told him, "C'mon, you go first." he added, going over to his bed and pulling on his arm. The blonde went limp, pouting playfully. 

"I don' wanna. I'm gon sleep." 

Wilbur chuckled, giving up on pulling him off the mattress. "I know, kid. You can sleep after you shower." 

The fairy gave in, but not without pouting like some toddler. The witch rolled his eyes as he left, but he was more amused than anything. While the blonde was busy, he unpacked their stuff and stocked the dressers, gathering his change of softer clothes for his shower. It was probably twenty minutes later that the kid crept out of the bathroom, his hair soaked and his jewelry all removed. 

He looked...adorable, really. He wore a sweater now, and he rubbed at his eyes sleepily with fisted hands. Wilbur shut his notebook and set it on the bedside table, pulling himself out of the bed. "You should eat before you sleep, okay?" he patted his shoulder, earning the nonverbal response of a sleepy nod before he went around him to go take his own shower. 

When he came out another fifteen or so minutes later, he smiled at the sight of the boy clumsily feeding himself a noodle dish he had probably gotten from the meal hall Puffy had mentioned earlier. "Wil! I got- I got you a plate too. Over dere." he motioned to his bedside table with his fork. 

Wilbur smiled, "Why, thank you." he came to sit on the bed, taking the plate in his lap. 

Honestly, he couldn't remember the last time he ate as good as he had in the past day or so. "You're welcome," the kid smiled dorkily. Just like earlier in the flower field, his voice was all toddler-like and his mannerisms were especially childish, which made Wilbur curious. He didn't think he even realized what he was doing. 

"Why are you talking like that?" he blurted out the question without really thinking it through, and in result, the boy's face quickly dropped into an anxious frown. 

"I'm- uh, sorry." the blonde adjusted his posture and stared down at his lap, suddenly snapping out of the childishness. It made Wilbur feel bad, he liked seeing the boy so...carefree.

"Don't be! I'm just curious, I swear." Wilbur regretted his words immediately. "I noticed it earlier today, too. I don't mind it, I promise." 

Tommy looked up at him, as if trying to decipher if this was a trick. After a bit, and after seemingly deciding that it wasn't a trick, he gave in. "I, um, do this thing sometimes. It started after I got settled into the forest, I just act like a kid- no, I feel like a kid, when I get too excited or comfortable with someone. I don't understand it, and I don't know why it happens- it just does. And it makes me happy, and less stressed, I guess." 

"Does that mean you feel comfortable with me?" Wilbur questioned, his eyes full of stars as he waited for the answer. 

The blonde shrugged, "I suppose. That's crazy, though, because I don't know you. Or I shouldn't, but it feels like I've known you forever. That's weird, right?" 

Wilbur thought over the time they've spent together so far. Sharing meals, talking about anything and everything as they journeyed through the forest, their brief time in the flower field...and yeah, it felt like they've known each other forever. He knew it might just be that this kid was his first source of human interaction outside of the war zone since his home kingdom, that it might just be because he was lonely and trying to readjust, but he trusted this kid. 

And he wanted to stick with him as long as he possibly could. 

"Maybe, but I get it. I don't think I've befriended someone this quickly ever either." 

"Can you promise me something, Wilbur?" Tommy asked after a beat of silence, sounding worried all the sudden. 

"What's up?" Wilbur took a bite of his food, waiting for the boy to elaborate. 

"Tell me that we'll stay friends. Like, even after I head back to my base- we'll visit each other and go on more adventures together and you won't just leave me there." 

Those last few words worried Wilbur, but it was extremely clear that the boy was entirely serious. The war man set his plate on the mattress next to him and leaned forward a bit, speaking in this low, whisper-like playful tone. 

"Of course. I mean, we are brothers, after all." 

That caused Tommy's face to break out into a smile, the boy giggling loudly at his words, breaking the seriousness of the conversation completely. 

Wilbur decided, then and there, that this creature's laugh was probably one of his favorite things in the entire world, and he vowed to himself that he'd make sure he'd hear it as much as possible until the day he died. He promised himself that this kid would be taken care of, that he'd be trained in his magical abilities and lead a good, happy life. 

He'd make sure this kid got to be a kid. 

Even if that meant pretending to be his brother for a while. 

"We'll head out tomorrow after breakfast to buy whatever you came here for, okay?" Wilbur asked once they finished eating, stacking their dishes atop Tommy's dresser for now. 

"Oh, yeah. I nearly forgot about that," The blonde realized. "I'm buying a wand, by the way. I've been wanting to train myself in magic and it's hard." 

"You were that secretive about needing a magic aid? Plenty of witches use them," he pointed out as he climbed into bed, trying to get comfortable under the covers. 

"I like letting people think I'm strong and super powerful, because I have a lot of magic by blood. I don't like people knowing that I don't know how to use it yet." He admitted a bit sheepishly. 

"Well, you will soon. I was trained by the best in my kingdom and I've been fighting in the war for years, I have a lot to teach you. And a wand is a good place to start." 

"Mhm," Tommy was clearly still sleepy, humming as he settled into the bed. "Wait, can you tell me what your other half is?"

"Huh?" Wilbur questioned. 

"I told you that I'm half-witch, half-fairy. You told me your mom was nature witch and didn't mention what your dad was, you said it was irrelevant. I wanna know- are you a hybrid, too?" 

The brunette thought for a while before he spoke up. He liked the child, sure, but he didn't know if he was ready for this. He didn't even tell members of his troop he had known for four years about his other half. 

"I'm a hybrid, yeah." 

"With what?" 

"Objection, currently irrelevant." 

"Wilbur!"

"Tommy." 

The boys stared at each other, before eventually breaking into laughter. "I'll tell you one day." Wilbur told him once they calmed down. 

"Fine." the blonde huffed. 

"We should sleep," Wilbur said after a moment. He muttered some spell, which caused all the candles and lights in the room to shut off. 

"Wil?" he heard Tommy's voice after a moment in the darkness. 

"Yes?"

"Can we keep one light on, please?" 

"Of course."

Eventually, the two witches drifted off to sleep, wondering what could possibly be in store for them the following day. And every day after that one, too. 

They had no idea how this town would treat them, the people they'd meet, or where Wilbur would work- but none of that mattered in the moment. Because they had each other, as fake traveling brothers, and they were ready to take on the world. 

Even if it was overwhelming, and unfamiliar, and they were a bit unprepared for it. 

They'd get through it, as long as they stuck together.