Chapter Text
Maybe it was a warning from fate itself, giving him a rough awakening from a previous blissful existence. Or maybe Azurewrath was never supposed to listen to the secret conversation that his beloved Two Time had with their mentor Amarah. The devoted part of his brain screamed at him, he should not be doing this, the Spawn would clearly disapprove on him spying on those two, but as outsiders say 'curiosity killed the cat'. The botanist clutched the flowers in his hand, thorns piercing his palm, Amarah was ordering Two Time in the name of the Spawn to… sacrifice — no, to betray him, Azure. No no no, was this a sick joke? He knew the glorious Spawn demanded sacrifice from all of them for their second life, but the life of one of his devoted followers?
Could it be that those outsiders were right? Azure shook his head, he had to get away from his hiding spot. He didn't want to leave Two Time's close proximity, but the persuasive poison dripping from his mentor's mouth wasn't doing his fragile mind any good. With utmost care he slung away, his feet carrying him to his shared cabin, he needed to plan his next steps and treat the new wound in his hand. A bloody hand covered in thorns was a small price to pay for what he was going to do next. The botanist didn't want to act rash, or do something he would regret forever. All he wanted and needed was to get away from danger and clear his mind from the blinding panic that was building up inside of him.
'Get away'… that sounds like a good thing, a good way to think about all the choices he made for the Spawn to deem his sacrifice necessary. The frown on his face slowly disappeared into a soft smile as he flexed his now bandaged hand; the pain stung, but it also grounded him. Even in doubt, Spawn guided him and with that guidance Azure had a plan. With his uninjured hand he smoothed out his robe and straightened his hat, he had to prepare his luggage for his journey, his… road trip. The elders would never approve of his plan so he needed to act quick and not draw any attention. In his mind he had a small but foolproof checklist of things that needed to be done, 'borrow' some of the communities funds (Spawn deemed it necessary), pack his every possession and then escape head-off with one of the two cars in the middle of the night, where everyone would be asleep and none the wiser. For his beloved Nightshade something special was planned…
The most difficult task was securing the funds for his impromptu journey. After past incidents, caused by other members of the community, all funds were pooled together and stored in one of the office rooms. He had to sneak in there when no one was there to see him or else the whole plan would immediately crumble. Doing it right before he left would be the best time, even if he was caught, who would be crazy enough to go up against a car? His feet carried him around, mindlessly organising the things he needed on the trip. Did he truly need all sets of his robes? The bags he was filling were already getting too bulky and the car didn't have infinite space… His thoughts were interrupted by the main door to the cabin announcing Two Time's return. In their shared room, Azure stood holding the aforementioned robes, his face going through conflicted emotions.
His beloved returned a bit earlier than usual… which was unusual. Did that mean they were here to complete Amarah's orders? No, no he couldn't jump to conclusions. Two Time loved him and certainly they needed to convince themself first before they did something like that. Burning pain flared through him, oh, he hadn't noticed that he was squeezing his injured hand. The pain helped to ground him, everything was still going according to plan, there was no need nor room for panic. Azure dropped the extra robes as he heard the soft confused voice of his love from the main room. With masked caution the botanist headed to the location where the voice came from. There he encountered a heartbreaking sight, his beloved Nightshade stood there in the middle of the room paler than usual. They stood there with their tail hanging low, the small wings on their head trying to shield them from unknown danger and their face… oh, their usual lovely smile was nowhere to be seen and their eyes were slightly swollen. Clear signs that they had been crying, a good explanation why they weren't out there completing chores around the community.
"Oh Timey…" whispered Azure as he approached his lover. He closed the distance with a hug, "What is wrong my love?" He asked while giving them a reassuring squeeze.
The wings on their head flapped in surprise before they settled, then they returned the hug, burying their face into his chest, "'s nothing, I'm just tired. Had a small disagreement with someone"
Azure tried his very best that moment to not let his anger spill over, he was sure that the someone in question was Amarah, did they disagree on the will of the Spawn?
"It is fine if you don't want to talk about it," he pulled Two Time away for a moment to give them a grin, "however, I know how a special blend of tea that will improve your sour mood."
Slowly their expression shifted back into their usual smile, Azure's special blends of tea were always guaranteed to improve their mood. "Well then my Nightshade, close the door and sit down, I'll join you with the tea." He gave them a quick peck on the lips and hurried off to the kitchen, hearing ann affirmative giggle as he left their sight.
The early return of Two Time threw him off a bit, the prepared blend of tea needed to be adjusted. His beloved only deserved the best. After a while it was ready to be served. Not to gather any suspicions, Azure lazily walked over to the couch were Two Time sat, humming and tail swaying. He put down one of the tea cups in front his partner, "Here, I tried something new for you and I fully believe you will enjoy it"
"Oh it smells fantastic, thank the Spawn you outdone yourself again." They proceeded to take a few sips, then downed the whole cup. Huh crying really dehydrated his poor flower. Alas, in a few minutes the special calming effects of the blend would kick in, time to provide some comfort. The botanist sat down next to Two Time and cuddled up to them, who in turn flapped their wings expressing how much their mood had improved over the past minutes. Both of them sat there, content, ignoring the looming issue and soaking in their shared warmth.
Slowly Two Time's eyes fluttered shut and they let out a yawn, an adorable sight. They struggled with the sudden onset of fatigue and then gave in, falling asleep right next to Azure. Time to get to work. The botanist stood up and laid down Two Time, making sure they were lying in a comfortable position. He leaned forward and gave their forehead a soft kiss,"See you later my Nightshade". The impromptu cuddling session was helpful, he no longer had to worry about his little flower's whereabout and could finish up packing. Ugh not owning any bags would make this an annoying task…
The sun was no longer up when he placed down the last makeshift bag next to the couch where Two Time was still peacefully sleeping. The botanist really outdid himself this time, he resisted the urge to include any useless sentimental objects - because this trip wasn't suppose to last forever and of course he would return after cleaning his mind… right? He wasn't just running away forever, even if Spawn wanted him gone. How weird, his hands shook for no reason and his breathing was heavier than usual! Maybe it was from all that excitement he felt…
Most of the other members would be in their own lodgings by this hour, which means it was now prime time to get all of his stuff to the car he was most familiar with. The car in which Amarah taught him how to drive… Amarah who signed off his death with a happy smile. Amarah his mentor who taught him and Two Time personally about the Spawn. The car, where was it again? Stop thinking about him. Azure blinked several times and oh, he didn't notice that he was outside, in front of the car. He must have blanked out for a moment. With a tremor in his hand he reached for the keys in his robes and after several unsuccessful attempts he unlocked it. It was clean and there was enough space for all of the bags and extra cargo. Perfect.
With a quick glance he checked the fuel and thank the Spawn someone had recently refuelled it. Everything was going so well, Spawn truly blessed him with good luck. Then why did Spawn demand his death? The botanist only had to hurry up with the last stages of the plan and he would be out of here until he returned. Two trips had to be made back to the cabin, one for all of the bags and the other for the special cargo. Surprisingly it was pretty easy, up to this moment he hadn't realised that everyone strictly adhered to the curfew imposed by the elders. As they would always say 'only a well-rested mind can serve the Spawn well'. Haha now it served him well! Before heading off to complete his final objective, the botanist checked on the special cargo, making everything was comfortable and safe. With that he closed the door to the passenger seat and sneaked up to the house where the funds were stashed away. Guided by the moonlight he found the entrance, with a deep breath he opened the door.
The usual absence of ambient noise amplified the loud creek of the door. The darkness surely made everything seem creepy. Even without light, Azure could find his way around here. Back when he was younger he used to sneak around here with Two Time until someone caught them, in most cases that someone was Amarah… The office would be around this corner, there! With a triumphant smile, Azure opened the door and entered the room. Moonlight greeted him again, making it easier to find what he was looking for. The botanist tried his best to be quiet as he rummaged around the room, it had to be in here! Last time he deposited the small amount of money he made by selling his plants the elder went into this specific room. Then as if Spawn took pity on the young man, he finally saw it - an unsuspecting wooden box. A sigh of relief escaped him as he reached for the box with shaky hands. Inside were all of the communities earnings, just as he had thought. It was Spawn's will he didn't need too much, only a couple bux to survive the first few days out there.
A sudden knock on the door interrupted him. Azure's heart stopped beating for a second, he knew who it was without needing to look up. It was too late to hide and cower, he mustered up all of his will to turn around and face him. There on the doorway leaning with crossed arms was Amarah, dread filled Azure, it seemed like he had been there for a while. How did he not notice him? Tension, so thick you could cut it filled the room, Azure's throat felt dry and his palms were sweaty, Amarah's gaze burned a hole into him. Disapproval radiated from his mentor.
Minutes of silence passed, until Amarah clicked his tongue and slowly shock his head, apparently not saying a word was the wrong thing to do. "Azure… Oh Azure you were always the one to disobey."
The young man in question shivered and coward when his name fell from his mentors lips. Unhurried Amarah stood up straight and approached him. With a rough force he grabbed Azure's chin, forcing the botanist to look him in the eyes as he spoke.
"Say what exactly is your plan here, hm? To leave your family, your community, Spawn behind? To reject your blessings of a second life?" those words were said in the voice reserved for light scolding, however in this situation it only made it all worse. Azure could only let out a whimper when the grip on his shin grew painfully stronger.
"Do you think the outside world without Spawn will welcome you my child? They will all shun you and take everything away from you."
He then glanced at the money still clutched in one Azure's hands.
A chuckle left his mouth as he continued, "You made up your mind didn't you? You'll be a lost sheep without Spawn's righteous guidance."
With his other hand he gently began to stroke the young man's cheek, "Don't fret, you wouldn't be the first one. Never forget Spawn is merciful and will always welcome you back with open arms, dear Azure."
"We are family, never forget that," whispered Amarah as he finally let go off Azure, watching with a smile as he scrambled out of the office.
It hurt with how hard his heart pounded in his chest, Azure ran back to the car with unsteady legs, moving like a newborn fawn. Did Amarah see him when he initially spied on the conversation that led to his escape short trip to the outside world? He almost ripped the car door of its hinges. Was he really just letting him go with a friendly reminder? It took multiple tries for the car to finally come to live. The community and Spawn were his family… so why did he feel like he was in danger right now?
The car jolted as he pressed down on the gas, the stench of burned rubber was the only thing Azure left behind when he drove out into the night. It didn't matter in what direction he was heading off, he purely relied on panic. The wound in his hand was bleeding again, as well as his heart and belief.
'Never forget Azure, Spawn will always love you.'