Chapter Text
It was a beautiful night. The moon radiated bright beneath the lake, next to a dark forest. It also touched on the reflection of light on the lake, that followed toward a big oak tree where two men slept with a blanket. It was a chilly night tonight. Their blanket was so soft, with red and black stripes. It was the royal family’s color. They embraced in nude, feeling safe together, and wanted to be alone in peace and escape from the horrible dark. One man opened his icy blue eyes, which matched the weather conditions. He looked at his lover, still asleep, and stroked his blond hair. He picked his clothes up and dressed himself.
He walked toward the lake, kneeled down on the grass, and watched a beautiful full moon. He looked over his shoulder at his lover. Then, he looked at the reflection in the lake, and thought about how his life changed much when he met his lover, Victor, and back to the beginning of his life.
This man, Edgar, had a cursed family in the generation for a long time. No one knew who cast the curse on his family. They became the swans when the moon rose up and returned to humans when the day started. Only way to break the curse was to find love and then get married. However, they only focused on getting married. They simply got married and the curse broke, as one became fully human, that’s it. However, the curse wasn’t completely broken; once a new member of the royal family was born, a child was already cursed. It never ended with the generation each was born in.
A few children and teenagers of the royal family enjoyed being swan, they could fly whatever they wanted to go to freedom. They didn’t have to worry about their parents, they could sneak out of the room. Swan, like birds, could see the view above and below, as if they saw the whole world. Their favorite thing to do was visiting and going through the waterfall. This water and air mixed well, the taste of freedom. Unfortunately, the swans couldn’t stay forever and they had to return to their own room.
Now, not in Edgar’s case, he recently got kidnapped, as he was on his way to get married. His parents called the alert on the guards to find their son. They suspected it was his son’s mentor, Mr. S. Mr. S was dark, powerful magic user, which frightened Edgar’s parents and worst, he got obsessed with their son’s beauty in both human and swan. Mr. S claimed himself who casted the curse on this family to get them to pay back for throwing him away. Mr. S was also waiting for someone beautiful. It might be true, there might be a way to break the curse for the family.
Edgar was once brought to Mr. S’s place, he treated him like his own object. He trained Edgar as both animal and human, whatever he had to object to him. If Edgar didn’t, he would get ultimate punishment, that was his nightmare. During his prison, Edgar could fly as he wanted, but had to stay in a limited area because he had mark spell by Mr. S would find him quickly.
One day, Edgar decided to take a risk by flying off his limited area, he rather do it than trap as he was forced to do disgusting things with Mr. S. He waited for the sun to be above until he transformed into a swan. He flew off Mr. S’s cottage and observed the forests, lake, and other landscapes below. It was so far. He was jetting and gliding to see where he would go. Something stunned him on his skin, he looked down on his ankle. A glow purple marked of thunder and star spread the look-like crack on his leg.
I knew Mr.S’s symbol. I have to go further. That will slow him from finding me.
Edgar couldn’t fly longer than Mr. S’s spell tortured him so painfully, he fell down in the forest. He tried to lift his wing, it captured his ability to fly, too. The swan crawled on the grass as he had energy left, it was hard with wings. An unfamiliar grass, scary looking faces on trees, the sky above in the forest were barely seen. Edgar wasn’t used to nature, but his stomach was boiling the bubbles. The sound of footsteps was coming near Edgar. Edgar flipped the wings hastily in a panic and he, unfortunately, exhausted his energy. He was blank, almost like dying down, as glow purple chewed a part of his life. His eyes had to stay open, but almost closed and his vision became blurry.
The swan’s wing was smelling and wet by a small and ugly creature’s nose and barked.
A shadow person came to find a swan and looked at him. Edgar glared at a person, I’m not going to give up.
Edgar felt his body as the swan was snatched up under a person’s arm. He noticed that the arm hadn’t a magical mark, it wasn’t Mr S. Edgar tried to see through blur, who it was. A man had blond hair behind a bow and arrows on his back, carefully holding the swan, as he was gentle with the wing. Edgar sensed he wasn’t captured, but a gentle touch was warm as it offered a safety that he didn’t remember he had with his family last time. Edgar finally gave up, and blacked out.
Later, he was carried so softly that it felt as if he was riding the clouds, something covered him and listened to small talk. He opened his eyes a bit, and found himself in the blankets on the bed. It was different “comfort” - like a home compared to his fancy bed. Edgar was able to hear the words from two people talking. He tried to open his eyes but still felt nauseous. His eyes opened to see a blond man talking with a big moose head in person. So weird, that person wore it. The blond man begged the “moose” man and lifted Edgar’s foot with the glow mark. Moose man studied it. Edgar only heard him speak a few words: “I know who it is. This spell is so powerful. I can do what I can do. Watch out for what this horrible person has done to this swan.”
He hadn’t had much energy, his eyes were closed and blacked out again.
*****
A scent of fresh plants came toward the nose, calming a mind through the breeze from the window. It allowed Edgar to wake up without a force. Edgar stared at his hands, and looked up at the stars in the night through the window. Ah, it was night time. Edgar took up and observed the blanket. It was a red fabric made of cotton and wool. He was able to sleep so safely through the peace compared to his fluffy and fancy blanket in his home.
Edgar took attention at a place that was attached with plants on the wall, building in the stones, not necessarily cold from the breeze. This environment of nature could help relaxation and freedom. Edgar’s home was under pressure about the curse, arranged marriage, and family.
A sound came from the door, it was a blond man with a dog carrying a basket of food.
“Beautiful swan, I hope you will like my cooking-”
He saw Edgar holding the blanket on the bed, dropping the basket down. A soft suddenly transformed into a stone dropped on the floor harder, he pulled the arrow and held a bow pointing at Edgar, “Who are you, the intruder???”
Edgar raised up, “I’m not-”
The blond man spotted an empty blanket, “Where is the swan? Did you steal and kill him?”
“What? I don’t-” Edgar closed his mouth, he didn’t think a stranger would believe in a fairy tale about the curse of the Swan family.
His golden eyes were channled in the fire Edgar read through him, It was warm from him, and then a fire threatened me.
A dog came toward Edgar and smelled his shoes.. Blond man gasped, “Wick. What are you doing? Don’t-”
Wick barked happily, confusing Edgar and Victor at the moment. Edgar was aware that dogs had a strong of smell, but he never thought that Wick was able to tell it was him.
Someone held a blond man’s shoulders, it was a moose man. “It’s ok, Victor. He’s the swan. Look at the bandages.”
Edgar pulled his pants and checked the bandages on his ankle, It’s not a dream after all. Wait a minute, I no longer suffer the pain. I’m ok now? Should I still worry about Mr. S?
Victor put bows and arrows, and stared with widened eyes at Edgar, “How? You can’t be the swan. How-”
“Why should I answer to you?” Edgar crossed his arms, and turned his head rudely.
“You, why-” Edgar’s attitude took Victor back…
“You threatened me with your bow and arrow! I don’t think I need to tell you.” Edgar rebuffed that he didn’t think this man was worthy of trust, beside his warmth, I don’t want to think about how he gently held me.
“That’s enough, boys. My name is Bane. This is Victor. You have to tell us your name, I need to know you’re not a threat to us.” Moose man gently pushed Victor back to cool off.
“Edgar. I’m Edgar.” He scoffed.
“About your mark, I was the one who was able to break your spell. Is it him?” Bane’s eyes were suspicious.
“Depends on who you’re referring to.” Edgar still wasn’t straightforward; he didn’t expect Bane to be familiar with him.
“I think you’d better leave now. We don’t want to be near him and for him to find out where this place is.” Bane’s words surprised Edgar.
“What? I want to leave, yes, but I have to go nowhere!” Edgar didn’t want to be a beggar, but had to do it.
“You have a home, right?” Bane could tell how Edgar had a fancy vest inside white with the symbol of his family.
“I’d rather not go back to my home. I need a place without him tracking me. I now don’t have anything. Please let me stay here. I will do anything.” Edgar covered the symbol on his chest, kneeling down on the floor.
In a silent moment, a melody was created in water dripped off the plants. Fireflies entered through the window and flew around them in the cottage. Bane and Victor looked at Edgar between pity and skeptical. Edgar swallowed the pride in himself never done begging before. Wick pawed on Edgar’s arm in comfort.
“Alright. You can stay here, but the next full moon, you have to leave.” Bane allowed it, which surprised Victor.
Edgar nodded in agreement, he had to keep his word.
“You said you will do anything. You can stay with Victor here, you have to help him take care of the animals.”
Edgar and Victor gasped and looked at each other in disbelief, there was nothing they could do against Bane’s words. Bane sensed something mattering with the two men, “I hope you guys will learn to get along with each other. I don’t want to see the sanctuary we worked so hard on getting damaged, Victor.”
Victor nodded, although he made an obvious “not thrilled” face. After Bane left the cottage, Victor came to confront Edgar.
“Maybe Wick likes you, but I still don’t trust you. If you harm animals, I won’t hesitate to make you leave, ok?”
Edgar raised his hands, and returned to distrust the same way, What’s Sanctuary about? What’s so special about it?
Edgar heard Victor mumble, “I can’t believe the swan I saved turned out to be rude and has such a harsh mouth. Edgar. Let’s go to the Sanctuary for animals. Time to appreciate animals especially swan like you.”