Hello everyone! This is the first part of Chapter 12. I hope everyone enjoys this! (: I'm sorry if I switch tenses, I'm trying to work on that!
Chapter 12:
“How many people?”
“Hundreds. The King seized control of that city.”
I couldn’t speak. All those innocent people forced to abandon their home in fear of death.
“I need to start practicing, I can’t let this happen again,” I say as I try to stand. My feet slip under me, ready to lift me.
“Elle, don’t. You aren’t ready.” Trenton tries to sit me back down.
“No, I’m fine,” I say sternly. He steps back, giving me some room. I use my energy towards my task, attempting stand. My vision fills with stars from my change in height, making me wobble. Up, I stumble forward, only to fall. Trenton’s arms grab my arms before I hit the ground, preventing my fall.
“Elle, just sit. Please.” Trenton sets me down slowly.
Frustrated with myself, I dig my face in my hands. All because of me. I grip my waist in a hug, never letting go.
“How long, do you think?” I ask.
Trenton rubs his temple, then says, “In less than two months.”
Two months? My breath catches. At this rate, I won’t be anywhere in two months.
“It is approximated. If we can hold them off longer... The only thing that matters is that you are safe for now,” Trenton tries to comfort.
“It doesn’t matter,” I say. “I need to begin training again. I need to protect these people.”
“Just let yourself heal. You won’t be doing any favors by hurting yourself again,” Trenton says with finality, signaling that this conversation is over.
“When can we go back?” I ask.
“Lyra didn’t give an exact time. If I go to check, will you promise me that you won’t do anything to dangerous?”
I give a half smile, then say, “I promise.”
“Alright. I will be back soon.” With that, Trenton runs into the trees.
Some part of me pulled me towards the stream. On my hands and knees, I crawl to the stream, dipping my hands in. I felt an instant chill swarm my hands, leaving me numb. Instinctively, I whip my hands out of the water. I spy a small fish swim through. Again, I dip in my hands, not sure at what I was doing. My hands went cold again, only up to my wrist. Confused, I take out my hands. My wrist was now slowly growing a familiar pinkish glow of unscathed skin, my Mark turning a familiar blue. The webbing stayed. I turn to where Trenton left through the trees, making sure he didn’t see me. Curious, I dunk my hands back in, suffering through the cold, numb feeling. Through the reflective water, I see my Mark turn into something that I have never seen before. It looked like... water, rippling along my skin.
A bright glow sparked in the water, growing into something that blinded me. I look away, ripping my hands away from the stream. I gasp at my Mark. It was glowing. What is this? The glow of it frightened me. I haven’t seen it glow before. I watch it go through my skin, following the same path of the poison, turning the purple hue into something of a light pink. It got closer to my shoulder, making me flinch. Scared, I let a little shriek as it hit my shoulder, then it disappeared. Gone. What happened? I search my skin for anything.
Without thinking, I stand. I am standing! My eyes go big from my excitement. I feel a large amount of energy go through me, causing me to step. Am I healed? My breathing goes faster as I hold in my cries of joy. Quickly, my steps become faster and faster, turning into a light jog. Is this really happening? Am I really healed? Deeper into the woods, I hear footsteps coming. Unable to control it, I bolt into the woods towards the sound. My body slams into somebody and topples over. I couldn’t help but laugh at myself. Trenton and I were face to face, and I rolled off of him. Confused and irritated, Trenton sits up, observing me.
“What...?” Trenton asks.
“I am healed Trenton! I can walk again!” I hug him tightly.
“How?” He asks, still clearly confused.
“I don’t know! The stream healed me!” I let go and stand up, showing him my strength.
“How is this possible?” Trenton stands as well.
I shrug, then say, “How long are we out here?”
“For the night. Elle, what happened?” Trenton seemed annoyed how I wouldn’t answer his question directly.
“The stream healed me. I placed my hands in the water and my Mark healed,” I say, urging him to come with me.
“We will have to tell Lyra,” Trenton says.
“But we can’t go back can we?” I ask, my mood turning into a less cheery one that I had a few seconds earlier.
“No, I’m afraid not.” Trenton unhooks a pack from his shoulder and places it on the ground. In it was food and a few blankets. It was already turning to night, the sky turned into a dark gray. Trenton rolls out the blankets, making a bed for the night.
“What really happened, Elle?” Trenton questions.
“I am being honest. I don’t know what I did,” I say, annoyed that he won’t believe me.
“Alright. It will be cold tonight, so I brought extra blankets.”
The air was already turning cold, something that I wasn’t completely used too. I was used to colder weather, but not this cold. I haven’t really seen large amounts of snow, either. Only a small dusting of it.
I slide into the blankets, clutching them closely to me. I curl in my head so it wasn’t on the hard ground. The grass made a makeshift cover. My body shook once in a while from the cold. I kept my feet and legs close to my body. I closed my eyes tightly.
“Why can’t we go back?” I ask.
Trenton moves a little, then says, “Lyra doesn’t want you to see.”
I understand well. She doesn’t want me to see the elves who were fatality wounded because of me. My day was tainted from this, covering my joy that I should be experiencing. It doesn’t matter to those hundreds of people who were killed, wounded, or who were attacked and forced to exit their homes.
Nothing else mattered. Those families mattered, and because of me, they won’t have a home or live peacefully until I stop this. I, no one else. Not Trenton, nor Lyra, only me.
