Dead Men Smiling

6.2

No one is a villain in their story. We're all heroes trying to save ourselves even if it's killing someone else.

-----

"Once again in our natural habitat." Rowan muttered sarcastically as he readjusted Sora on his back. "In the forest." "It's the safest place for our kind though, Ro." Maximus stated with an eye roll as he strummed a note on his guitar.

Wynter smiled at Leilani. "How have you been, Leilani?"

The dark haired female stilled. "How do you know my name?"

She was quick to respond. "Sora had spoken about all of you and judging by your personalities, you definitely are not Dolly. Plus, if I'm speaking on the descriptions he gave, your spells have dropped."

"That means we'll have to go out with masks." Maximus noted. "I'm not shocked though. I mean, my disguise dropped a little over a week ago."

Leilani then remembered how during the chaos a few hours ago she forgot to address Maximus' form. "You're a Siren, right?" "You have a problem with it?"

She thought about it before shaking her head. "I've hear the stories of what terrible things that Sirens can do but you're still Maximus to me; even with blue skin and a tail."

Maximus smiled softly. "Thanks for the acceptance, Lani. You have no idea how hard it is keeping your true self a mystery from your friends only for them to reject you when they find the truth out."

Leilani inwardly winced at his words. That must have been how Dolan felt when I rejected him. Gods, I'm such a horrible person; I'm slowly becoming like dad.

Maximus squeezed her shoulder making her take a deep breath before she kept walking, not wanting anyone to worry about her. She adjusted the crown on her head. "When will we reach the Stone Circle? I can imagine Angel dead weight isn't the most appealing thing right now."

"We've arrived, actually."

Maximus let out an impressed whistle as he took in the house which he once remembered was a literal circle of stones. He then asked about how Wynter had managed to fix up the place if she wasn't the secret keeper. The red head scratched the back of her ear as she explained how Mason had told Vicky who had told her who had arranged to rebuild the place to make it more of a place of safety than a place of last resort.

Leilani frowned. "I was in this forest not too long ago and I didn't see a house."

Wynter smiled. "That's because you don't find the Stone Circle, it finds you."

She then instructed Rowan to set Sora on the couch so that she could assess the extent of his injuries.

Leilani muttered an apology to Sora and left Wynter to her job in search of the other two males who she found in a hot tub conversing between themselves. The trio then began to gossip about the running joke amongst themselves which was on Sora's alleged unrequited love for Dolan. They knew that Sora simply felt obligated to repay Dolan for all the help he's offered since they became friends but the friends thought that it was too good of a joke to pass making.

After thirty minutes, Wynter called Leilani and asked her on Dolan's whereabouts. She shrugged. "We got separated at a point so I'm not really sure where he is."

Wynter let out a heavy sigh and spoke in a low voice. "Those wings will come out on their own soon and trust me, no amount of daisy chains will distract Sora from the pain unless handled by someone who will know what they're doing."

Leilani nodded and left, wondering how Wynter knew about Sora's daisy chain making hobby.

She caught sight of the shirtless Angel and grinned. "Hey, Sor."

He lifted is hand from the door knob he was holding and rose a brow once he faced Leilani. "Did you really shorten my nickname?"

At her confused look, he explained how Sora was a nickname that was a play of the word 'Solar'.

With the relatively easy explanation, he opened the door only to be knocked off his feet by an overexcited black wolf that Leilani immediately recognized. She however, did not know the name of the falcon that soared in the room and landed on her shoulder.

Maximus, who had followed Rowan to investigate the cause of the discord, smiled at the wolf and scratched the back of his ear. "You must be Reign but where is your counterpart?" He then straightened and looked at the falcon. "I however, do not know you but you must be Dolan's."

Wynter squatted in front of Reign. "Can you lead us to Dolan?"

The wolf nodded before curling into a ball and sleeping. The falcon making themselves comfortable on Reign before settling and following suit.

"Looks like we'll be moving out tomorrow." Wynter smiled at everyone as she stood. "I'll make breakfast tomorrow."

---

At Hope's words, Dolan rose a brow, processing the chances of the waterfall merely being the reflection of The Crystal Cave; most beings hid their caves behind waterfalls and underground.

He pursed his lips, realising that Dragons weren't the most normal humanoids.

Dolan then turned his head in the opposite direction of the waterfall and pointed his wand in the aforementioned direction as he muttered a revealing spell.

Hope was about to point out how a simple spell wouldn't work when the cave entrance appeared. He watched Dolan stagger to his feet then walk to the entrance with determination in every stagger.

"I've seen these markings before."Dolan muttered as he traced them lightly with his fingers. Not wanting to overthink, Dolan faced Hope. "Are you able to open it?"

"Well, only the Magic-Weilders can do that."

The Vampire held his hand out to Hope with a shrug. "You can tap into my core. I'm somewhat desperate to get in the cave. "

Hope eyed Dolan's warily before meeting the golden eyes. "If I help you, you must teach me magic and make me your apprentice. "

Dolan rose an eyebrow at the request before nodding his agreement. Hope then smiled gleefully and grabbed the cold hand, focusing on the warm blue aura that engulfed him instead. He placed his free hand on the entry of the cave and gasp when it disappeared. "It worked. "

"Your core's weak. " Dolan muttered as he followed Hope into the cave, barely flinching when the wall reappeared and engulfed the pair in darkness. They then glanced at each other, pleasantly surprised to discover the other could also see in the dark.

Hope smiled slightly before leading Dolan towards a tall door with multiple carvings. The white haired Vampire glanced at Hope. "How do we get in?"

"A riddle. "

He then knocked in the door thrice and watched as a lizard solidified and looked at them. "What is one thing but is many? Exists to some but not to others. Is powerful and weak? "

Hope spared a glance at Dolan who scratched his palm thoughtfully. "A human being. They are perceived as one thing but multiple things at the same time. Some people exist to some and not to others because of the theory of perceiving and a human is both powerful and weak. "

The lizard nodded. "Excellent choice."

The door opener as the lizard turned back into a carving and the pair walked in; barely batting an eye when the doors close behind them.

"Welcome to the infamous Crystal Cave. " Hope muttered sarcastically making Dolan crack a small smile which fell as Hope whispered how he knew it as the bane of his existence.

He walked away from the other and immediately made a beeline for the crystal runes where he made himself comfortable.

Hope let out a heavy sigh at the bright glow the Mother Crystal emitted when Dolan walked past it and approached it; shaking his head in disappointment when it feels flickered before going out. "Of course."

He looked around the cave, checking for any signs of infiltration since his last visit despite knowing that out of his siblings, only two of them could open the cave and the other had been busy.

His gaze went to the roof where he frowned at a familiar face; with cross eyes and and elogated smile that had been messily sewn together. That can't be right.

"Uhm, Dolan?"

Dolan let out an hum in response before he let out a yelp of success; he finally got the dagger magic to work.

The Vampire then froze mid-admiration of the dagger and turned his head in Hope's direction, only to have sword pointed right at his face.

Hope turned when he heard the silence and frowned at his sibling. "Blue? You don't have magic; how did you get in?"

"You're Blue as in the fearsome, Blue-Eyed Bandit?"

Dolan wasn't impressed.

Blue pressed the sword at his neck making him gulp discreetly. One second thought, that sword was silver which meant if they cut me, that wound would either take forever to heal or will be like the scar Leilani gave me.

He felt immense sadness at the memory of the friend who rejected him and sighed, seeing no reason to resist Blue when the the other crumbled forward with the person standing in their place being Hope who had a smashed crystal vase on his grip.

He dropped the remainder of the case and straightened. "Get what you need, we have to leave. There's no telling who else can get in if they did."

Dolan nodded and opened his inter dimensional pocket where he shove the dagger, some tunes, a crystal sword, a lot of crystals and multiple other things just as the vmcave began to rumble. He turned his gaze to Hope who had his face scrunched up in concentration. "How do we get out, another riddle?"

Hope looked offended. "Of course not. There's a password but I can't remember what it-" He cut himself off with a scream when a crystal helmet landed by his feet.

Dolan grabbed Hope by the shoulder and concentrated on the little energy he had left. He felt the familiar rush of magic in his veins and imagined the waterfall. When he had a clear vision of there starting point, he teleported himself and Hope to the waterfall.

"Do you know how many wards you crossed? " Hope said as he looked around in awe. He then frowned at the state Dolan was in. "Are you ok?"

The Vampire swayed, looking extremely pale. "You might want to catch me."

Soon, darkness engulfed the Vampire as he fell forward and unto Malum who Hope could have sworn wasn't there before.

He looked at the Panther after a quick look around. "Four wards in the cave and gods know how many more to his campsite. Dolan's a bit of an idiot, isn't he?"

Malum and Hope set Dolan down, the former playing lookout and the latter looking through the potions bag for something to combat the immense fatigue that Dolan probably felt.