“What can we do for you, Heart?” Winter held him around his shoulders. Summer came and sat down beside him, not bothered by the dead man behind her. He felt like a wreck. Judging by Winter's face, he looked like one, too. 

“Erhart what can we do, can we make this better?” Summer spoke in a whisper, looking above his head, to Winter. Look like she was trying real hard to be something she wasn't, the quiet, reassuring type. That felt like more of her brother role. If she could try, then so could he. Erhart sat up, with help from the twins, their hands entwined in his. 

“I want to go home,” Erhart spoke from his heart, he wanted his bed, he wanted his dad; he wanted his normal. “I want to go home.” Erhart looked up and between the siblings. “Don't suppose you have a spare car, or know what to do with a dead body?” Erhart had killed a man, who knew how long it would be before he saw his home again? Would he go to jail? Erhart shivered at the thought.

“Leave the body to me!” Summer stood up faster than he could keep track with his eyes. 

“We Kirin's can fly. It'll be faster that way.” Winter stood up, much slower than his sister. Taking him up with him, but helping him stay on his own feet. A nice change of habit. 

“Kirin?” Erhart asked about the unfamiliar word.  

“Yes, we Kirin's, my sister and I.” Winter gave a smile that didn't reach his eyes. “We'll get you home, and talk. If you still want us around.” Winter never turned away from his gaze, but his words hurt him. 

“Why wouldn't I want you around?” Erhart demanded with a horse voice. “You are the best part of this unwanted trip!” Erhart wouldn't have him bad-mouthing himself or his kind. “Kirin's their kind of cool, you know?” Erhart smiled, or tried to, his lips gave out on him on one side.

“Cabin in the woods, outside of Coven Tides?” Winter asked, Erhart nodded, and Winter gave him a big smile. “Consider yourself there.” 

“What about me?” Summer cried out, wedging herself between them. Winter smiled at her, and pointed to Leonhard's body. “But...” Summer looked to him. Erhart was tired, and well, he didn’t want to go to prison. Looking at Leonhard’s body, he quickly turned his head away. 

“You volunteered,” Erhart pointed out, trying out standing without Winter's aid. He was doing a fair job, everything considered. Just don’t look at the body, don’t look! 

“It'll take you a few minutes, catch up.” Winter told her and waved her off with his hand, the funny part. She listened, glaring at him, she turned looking like a dejected puppy. “Come on, you don't need to see this.” Winter took him by the shoulder, turning and leading him towards the exit. At the exit, Winter took a step back from him. “One moment.” Once again the light came, and Erhart turned away, for he wouldn't go blind. 

“You really are beautiful,” Erhart said, looking at him in his... Kirin form. Erhart couldn't think of any other word. “Can I touch you?” Erhart reached out his hand, hesitating. Winter brought down his head and rubbed his head down his hand and up his arm. “Your mane is so soft.” Erhart whispered, fearing if he spoke louder, he would break the moment. He really needed this moment too. Running his hand along his neck. The scales felt softer than anything he ever touched, even Winter's mane. 

“How will this get me home?” Erhart asked, breaking away while he had the will. Winter got a gleam in his eyes, in an instant, he felt the similarity between him and his sister. “What are you doing?!” The last part ended with a scream, when turned around him and ducked his head between his legs. Lifting him up to slid down his neck and onto his back. Once there, Erhart grabbed onto Winter's mane for dear life. Laying down on him more than riding him like you would a horse. Which would make more sense, but to hell with that logic, he was not willingly taking to participate in this plan! 

“You're lucky you can't talk in this form!” Erhart shouted when Winter lifted off, taking him into the sky. Much as he wanted to say, he enjoyed the rush of fresh air. The thrill of the building growing smaller, and the sense of freedom from the clouds. All he could do was cling on for dear life, after discovering his fear from falling from great heights. Closing his eyes made it better, so he kept them tight. Unsure how fast they were going, he waited until the wind stopped swirling around him to open them again.  

“You can open your eyes, Erhart.” Summer's cheerful voice had him peeking out from under his eyelashes. That cheerful voice, came out of Summer... in Kirin form. 

“You can talk in that form?!” Erhart shot up and fell off Winter all in one go. “You didn't say anything to stop me from auguring, didn't you?” Erhart shot Winter the dirty look he deserved from the ground. 

“I didn't say anything, true.” Winter dipped his head and spoke slow, please remain calm way. “But you made the assumption on your own.” Erhart opened his mouth, and closed it again. 

“You're not wrong,” Erhart said slow like Winter had, “But I still don't like it.” Erhart said flat out. Flying was not fun. No, it was not. 

“Erhart?” That voice, that voice, cut off all his thoughts. Spinning on the ground where he fell. He saw him, and he looked a mess. His face had half healed scars. His chest was a wrapped up mess of white bandages and red seeping blood spots peeking though. 

“Dad!” Erhart scrambled to his feet, in time to get pulled into his dad's arm, a big hold Bearskin hug. “You're okay!” Erhart hugged his dad back, tighter than he could before, but not tight enough. 

“How are you!?” His dad pulled back, and grab Erhart's face. “What happened to your eyes?”

“I met mom’s family, they tried to eat me. Your friends are kind of dicks, Rushdi wasn’t horrible, and I don’t like dragons.” Erhart spilled his guts in quick, easy sentences. “I’m something called a Heart, apparently you fought to keep them from going extinct. In some sort of war?” Erhart took a deep breath.

“That’s Winter, and his sister Summer,” Erhart pointed to each twin when he named them, they had switched back over to human while he was hugging his dad. “They’re Kirin’s,” Erhart took another breath, “This is my dad, Klaus Winter.” Erhart blink, Winter? How could he have not noticed? 

“How fun!” Summer clapped her hands together. “If you two married, you would be Winter Winter, Winter.” Summer laughed, and nudged her brother, who looked a bit pale under his dad’s gaze. “Oh~ I would be Summer Winter.” Summer laughed again, Erhart was glad she was enjoying herself. He did catch her giving his dad a long look. He shrugged it off. 

“I killed Leonard,” Erhart blurted out. Not sure how he felt about that matter, and it worked to get his dad’s eyes off of Winter. His statement didn’t dim Summer’s joy at all.

“Oh! Me next! I set his dead body into smoke with my flame!” Summer waved her hand in the air. “I did grab this for you, though.” Summer bounced over with quick steps, placing his dog tags around his neck. “The needle you used is gone, sorry.” Summer kicked the grass beneath her feet.

“That’s fine,” his dad spoke for him. “The needle was a one time use item.” His dad’s hand came down on his head, ruffling his hair. “Hate that you needed it, but I’m glad you had it.”

“You’re not mad?” Erhart had killed someone, he thought someone would be mad.

“I would have killed him, had the Doden’s not chased me off the cliff.” His dad grabbed his shoulder and gave him the largest smile he’d ever seen on his dad’s face. “I am so proud of you, thank you for surviving.”


“I should be saying that to you,” Erhart flung his arm around his dad’s neck. “I was so worried you didn’t make it, and I woke up in a strange place.” Erhart's stomach gave off a roar, embarrassing him to no end. 

“Looks like my liege is hungry,” His dad helped him stand to his feet.

“Your liege?’ Summer came over, Erhart groaned, no one knew about his little nickname.

“Yes, he's my little Prince, has been since his birth.” His dad winked at him, letting him know, he knew what he was doing was embarrassing.

“How sweet,” Summer cooed, holding her hands to her chest. “Can I call him that too?”

“Sure,” over road Erhart’s firm no. Natural as can be, Summer wrapped her arms around his dad’s arm. Walking arm in arm into the cabin, his dad didn’t seem to oppose to the idea, since he was leading her inside the cabin. 

“Is she flirting with my dad?” Erhart asked, feeling like he walked into the twilight zone.

“She likes older men,” Winter said, coming to his side. “Glad your dad is here, safe and sound.”

“Me too,” Erhart smiled up at Winter. Feeling like the world had lifted off his chest, in the short time he had spent back at home, with his dad. “Feels like things are getting back to normal,” Erhart was grateful for the quick transition, which unlike the other ones; was a much better fit for him.

“It’ll get crazier again soon, I’m sure.” Winter said, waving him forward. Erhart nodded in agreement and led the way inside. There was so much he didn’t know about Hearts, about being one, what it meant, but at least he was safe now. His dad was safe, Winter and Summer were too. Life was back on track, a different one than he ever could have dreamed of. Yet, one he felt, was what him, and his dad, needed.