Episode Six, Part 1:
W i t h o u t   F e a r

Ares and Kodiak tried to hold Elara still, but it was obvious how much pain she was in. As Sol, Aeryn and Fenn tried to figure out what was wrong, the two boys couldn't help but wonder if they had just made everything worse. If Targo had lied because they knew this would happen to Elara, and Basilisk would have no other choice but to surrender the Heir to them as it would be the only way to save her life... 

"Elara, can you tell me what's happening?" Aeryn asked, trying to assist Fenn in checking her vitals. 

She didn't respond.

"Elara?" She pushed again, but the young girl could barely find a second amid her pain to speak. 

"Ell," Kodiak whispered, pulling her hair away from her ear as he leant in close. "What hurts?" 

"Everything," she managed to heave out. "It burns." 

"The serum burns?" Kodiak clarified, hoping to get more out of her for Aeryn and Fenn's sake.

Elara nodded, rolling over as she bit down onto her lip to distract herself from the more dominant pain. Aeryn and Fenn tried desperately to stabilize her, but there wasn't anything they could do. Finally, with both Kodiak and Ares doing everything they could think of to comfort her, Elara began to calm down. 

She relaxed against the chair, no longer clinging on with a death-grip, and her breathing gradually returned to normal. 

"Do you feel okay now?" Ares asked, gathering her hair and loosely tying it up for her. 

"Yeah," Elara answered breathlessly, slowly coming round to opening her eyes. She glanced over everyone, seeing how terrified they all looked, finally finding Kodiak. 

His eyes were watering, staring back as if he thought for a moment that he had lost her. Without even a word, both of them leaned into each other, holding tight without faltering.

"I'll go get the others," Sol announced, quietly dismissing herself from the overwhelming anxiety that filled the room. 

//// 

Quill and Wynn sat outside the steps of the Sovereign's Quarters, watching as the people of Basilisk gradually began to crowd and fill up the camp.

They'd been sitting in silence for a couple of minutes, but Quill couldn't bear it anymore. All he could think about was their sister, and whether or not she was okay. 

"Do you know how it went with Dad yesterday?" Quill asked, glancing over at his brother. He had a suspicion that Wynn wouldn't say much, that he was trying to hide something, and he was right. 

"What do you mean? I went with Sol, remember?" 

Quill sighed, reaching down to the ground and picking up a twig, breaking it apart in his hands. 

"I know," he said, "but I know you know more. It's what you were talking about last night with Ares, wasn't it?" 

"Yeah," Wynn sighed, reluctantly looking over at him, "but it's nothing you have to worry about." 

"Then why can't you tell me what it's about?" Quill pushed. 

"Because we don't want you getting upset. You, or Elara." Wynn explained. He reached over the short distance and placed his hand on Quill's knee, trying to assure him. 

"We're just looking out for you." 

Quill exhaled, feeling somewhat apologetic. "I know you are, but I- I want to look out for you guys as well." 

"Quill," Wynn hummed. "That's the whole point. We protect you, not the other way around. We're the oldest and I have the most experience out there. Mum and Dad aren't...around anymore, so we have to look after you two. That's what it comes down to." 

Quill smiled faintly, grateful to have them as his family. "Is Ares okay? For real? You know I'll worry, either way, so you might as well tell me." 

Wynn laughed. "Is that a threat?" 

"Could be," Quill laughed back, both of them returning to their somewhat-worried states in unison.

"He's fine. Dad... Implied something that made him realize something about us," Wynn struggled his way through the sentence, unsure if he had worded it right, or if it gave Quill the answers he was looking for. 

"Implied what?" Quill asked delicately, seeing that even Wynn was crushed by whatever it was. "Implied what?" He repeated, desperate.

"That he's not family. Not anymore. It's just us." 

Quill was a little taken aback, but at the same time, it wasn't too great of a shock either. It was like they had just been waiting for it to be real. 

"But that doesn't matter," Wynn immediately tried to console Quill, worried that he would heartbroken or defeated. "Because we still have each other. We still have a family. That's what I was saying to Ares when you found us last night." 

"I know," Quill was equally as quick to reply. He placed his hand on top of Wynn's, squeezing to reassure him. "Who we have now is enough." He said. 

Wynn smiled warmly at his younger brother, lifting his arm up and pulling Quill into his side. He messed with hair for a second, then kissed the top of his head, pushing him back up. 

"I meant what I said. Don't worry about anything. Okay? Ares and me; we'll keep you both safe." 

Quill nodded in response to Wynn, still smiling. 

"Just Elara." He pointed out. "I can't not worry about her." 

"Yeah," Wynn sighed heavily. "Me either." 

The two brothers sat in silence for a little while longer, both lost in thought. Eventually, Sol came to the door, almost opening it on them as they sat on the step right outside. 

The two brothers stood up immediately, knowing why she was here. They followed her back inside before she could even get a word out.

"How did it go?" Wynn breathed as they all walked down the hallway together. 

"Not great," she admitted. Both Wynn and Quill wavered in their pace for a moment, sharing a nervous look with each other before turning back to ask Sol what she meant. 

"The serum hurt going in. She wrestled with the pain for about a minute, and then it calmed down. She's okay." 

Both brothers sighed in relief, coming to a stop right outside the closed door, preparing themselves. Sol opened the room up, and they both stepped in, overjoyed to see their sister sitting upright. 

The colour had returned to her cheeks, and though it was obvious she had been crying, she looked much better than when she had walked in. 

"Elara!" Quill whispered, hurrying over to her. He was gentle to hug her, cautious of what Sol had said, not wanting to hurt her even further. 

Wynn squeezed onto her hand as he stepped up to her side. No words, just nodding down softly at his sister, the both of them understanding what each other meant. 

"So how do we know if this works?" Kodiak asked, looking over at Aeryn and Fenn. 

"We just have to take it day by day. If you still have the visions, we might have to give you a bit more, but it could be just as dangerous if you have too much." Aeryn explained. 

"Because of what River and Wynn brought back, we think we might stand a chance at replicating the serum," Aeryn announced, her voice rising up in hope as did she - standing on her tiptoes joyfully. 

"But we're not promising anything," Fenn had to make it clear. "We just have to play it safe. And you know you've got all of us here for you, Elara," he smiled down at the young girl, then up at Ares who was now standing beside him. Fenn laced his fingers through Ares', feeling that for the first time in a long time, every single one of them stood a chance at being happy. And that happiness stood a chance at lasting if Elara got better. 

Six // Part One
Ares and me. We'll keep you safe.