Chapter 21.

Moth hobbled slightly on his bandaged leg, he was back at the place he was trying to avoid. As he walked he struggled to stay upright as his wings were ow in a split and he felt a deep stabbing pain in his chest from his ribs. Lane wasn't in good condition but he did make the long journey there and Moth had made sure he was properly cared for and was never out of his sight considering that he didn't even take his eyes off him to sleep. Now he found himself in a large glass dome of sorts that's insides seemed to imitate a sunny forest in the middle of summer which was a stark contrast from the icy weather outside. The space was enclosed and separate from the rest of the world, actually it reminded Moth of a snow globe Moth had seen in a run down store once. 

Dorian had immediately taken him and Lane into this space, saying that he'd come see Moth after he organised some things and had given Moth time to settle in enough. He sighed and looked down at Lane who he had moved to rest his head on Moth's lap, he hadn't woken up yet and it was worrying him. Right now he had to find a good place to put Lane so that he could rest but he couldn't find anything in the large space that resembled a bed. He does recognise my human half right? I'm not some moth that can sleep in the trees, I need a bed but even if I didn't Lane would still need one. He settled on making a mesh hammock out of his threads that he tied between two trees before he lifted Lane onto it, struggling a little due to his weight. 

Moth then went to check Lane's breathing and temperature, both of which seemed normal and steady. His wounds have scarred over already so he isn't bleeding anymore. I'm glad he is a walker, he would have a much harder time healing if he wasn't. But he seems to still be afflicted by the poison. He needs an antidote or antibiotic of some kind. He brushed a hand through Lane's hands as he stared down at him with eyes full of concern. Moth moved away from him after making sure Lane was alright, deciding that it would be important for him to look around. His search resulted in him finding a small stream and several vegetable and fruit plants. From what he could tell the area mimicked a natural environment but it didn't look like any he'd seen before. There is so many different plants and materials, I could live in here for years. Not that I'd want that. He picked a few fruits he hadn't seen before before grabbing a large leaf to make a bowl that he used to gather water that he brought back to Lane. 

He tilted Lane's head back and trickled a small amount of water into his mouth, making sure he swallowed it before feeding him some more. "You are going to be alright Lane. I'll get us out of here." Some water spilled out onto Lane's face so Moth moved to wipe it away but he quickly stopped and retracted his hand. He couldn't touch him right now, it would hurt him. He wanted nothing more than to curl up in the hammock with him and cling onto him tightly but he couldn't se he sat beneath him, leaning his head against the tree next to him in exhaustion. He was running out of energy, he needed some form of contact. He had used too much trying to save Lane ad he'd pushed himself too far but he couldn't touch Lane. He needed to hold out to not hurt him. He's going to need all the energy he has to heal himself, I can't take from him so I'll have to make do.

"Moth!" A loud and rather enthusiastic voice rang out throughout the space that caused Moth to lift his head. Moth listened for a few moments before nestling his head into his knees and closing his eyes. It's Dorian. I can't be bothered to deal with him right now. I'll just ignore him. But then he remembered Lane's condition so he lifted his head. Maybe he could give me something to help him. His wings felt heavy on his back because of the splints put in space, they caused him to wobble a little, being off balance as he walked through the area. He wandered the area, trying to find the source of the voice without much success until he found a space he hadn't seen before. He arrived to a clearing littered with small yellow flowers while, at the centre, there was a large wire frame that resembled a bird cage to Moth. Inside, he saw Dorian sitting at a metal table with a stack of documents in front of him that he was peering down at.

Dorian seemed to not notice as Moth approached him as he was fixated on what he was doing, it was only when Moth entered the structure that he glanced up to notice him with a smile on his face. "Hello Moth, I was worried you weren't going to come." Dorian smiled brightly, his eyes scanning Moth's appearance and demeanor.

"He needs medicine, he's sick." Moth said. He didn't bother to talk to him about anything else, he wanted to heal him and then be left alone. Dorian laughed slightly at his straightforwardness. "Is that right? I'm not particularly inclined to help him." He stated with a shrug. "You brought him all the way here, now you won't help him?" Moth asked, furrowing his eyebrows. "I mainly brought him along to elicit your compliance." He took something out of his pocket, a small vial that he swirled it around in his hand, his eyes never leaving Moth. "It's medicine. It'll help him fight the poison." Moth's eyes lit up when he saw the vial, he moved to take it from his grasp but Dorian stopped him by grabbing his wrist. "Hold on." His tone was jovial and light as he spoke. "I already said I'm not inclined to help."

Moth glared at him but didn't pull back from his grasp, taking the opportunity to take in his energy. "What do you want?" He finally asked, a slight sigh in his words. Dorian smirks slightly, gesturing to the chair across from him. Moth glared at him but complied, sitting back in the chair across from Dorian as he glanced over the piles of paper in front of him.

"How did you hurt your leg?" He asked, glancing down at the other person's leg. Moth doesn't answer, preferring to look around at the plants. Dorian watched him curiously before letting out a short sigh and moving to put the vial back in his pocket. "Bandit sliced it up." He simply commented. "Is that right? That doesn't explain the break." Moth's mouth tightened. "A walker did it." Dorian stared at him knowing he was hiding something but he accepted the answer. "What do you think of this place?" Moth glanced around. "It's strange, it's the middle of winter but all of these plants grow in summer and in tropical climates, they shouldn't grow here."

Dorian laughed slightly. "You know a lot about plants. This area is a terrarium, it lives in its own ecosystem and the air temperature and humidity are adjusted to accommodate the tropical plants needs. It's also one of the only places around here that is safe for humans not to wear a gas mask." He watched as Rin looked around in amazement, impressed by the concept. "Do you like it?" Moth glanced back over to him. "It's warm and I like being surrounded by the greenery but I can't enjoy it if Lane is in pain." He was speaking purposely, focusing on getting the vial out of his hand. Dorian scoffed at his response and rolled the vial over to him, seemingly satisfied with his amusing response. "He'll need more of those, come see me when I call so I can give you more." Moth nodded and moved to leave but his wrist was grabbed from behind, stopping him in place. 

"What?" He snapped, his tone now rude since he had what he wants. Dorian moved to hold his hand lightly, "Just checking something." He muttered. Moth stared at him in confusion, not sure of what he was doing until he felt himself take Dorian's energy, his body desperate for anything it can get. He pulled his hand away and glared at him causing Dorian to smile. "Interesting… Do you feed off contact?" Moth turned away from him, "I have what I need so I'm going now." Dorian chuckled, his eyes gleaming with interest. "Alright then, I'll see you soon, little moth. If you need anything, just come find me. I'll be around here somewhere." Moth glanced back at him a final time before disappearing into the plants.