Autumn's Beginning, Autumn's Breeze [2]

Isabella--

"He's working with Nathaniel still," Max pointed out. I cursed under my breath, kneeling next to Arianna.

Her chest was pouring blood. I reached down and ripped the hem of my dress, using it to wipe up what I could. Once I could see the wound, I sat with my hands above it. My palms glowed a faint blue, as did the wound. As it healed, I began feeling light headed.

When I was too dizzy to continue, I pulled away. The wound had begun healing from the inside out, so it was definitely looking better. Arianna wasn't going to die at least.

"Max, can you find me something to use as a bandage? We need to wrap around her abdomen, so that it can't bleed anymore."

"But most of the blood has stopped," he pointed out.

"Yes, but it would be better wrapped up. Less chance of infection as well," I replied, leaning against the edge of the bed Arianna was in tiredly.

I can't post right now, seeing as the bell is about to ring, but I'll be gone until Sunday afternoon. Just letting you guys know.

-Ariel

Ariana

I fought against the haze that clouded my conciousness. Heavy pain clouded in my chest and I felt magic welling into me.

Then there was pain, so much pain that it brought me back, screaming in pain.

I felt Riley's hand grip mine, it didn't soothe me as it should have. "Something's way wrong," Isabella said, "the demon must have put magic into the blow, it won't heal."

Natan-

I cast spell after spell at the demon with my father, occasionally combining our magic together to cast larger, stronger spells. Still, it seemed an eternity and many injures later that finally the demon/Zalia sank to the floor of the balcony, a pool of red blood gathering around her body. She looked up at us, hatred and fear blazing in her eyes.

Then, with one final sigh, her body went still. Her eyes glazed over and slowly close. A look of peace etches into her features.

It is hard to believe that it's finally over; the demon was finally dead. But it had cost us many lives, including the life of Zalia. I looked upon her bleeding body without love, but with a certain amount of pity. It had not been her fault that she had been chosen as the demon's puppet.

I hear another sigh at my side and turn to see my father, clutching a deep wound in his side, standing there. My own injuries begin to sting and I feel a trickle of warm blood slide down my chest and another down my face. Even through my pain i manage to smile.

"Well, I'm glad that's over." i murmur. Nathaniel simply nods, his face scrunching up in pain. My eyes travel once again to his side where his black robes and the thin hands covering them are stained a dark red.

"Are you alright?" i asked cautiously.

"I'll be fine. See to it that the others are alright." he said, waving me away. I cast him one more concerned glance before putting my arm under his and helping him inside. At first he protests, but then the exhaustion or loss of blood kicks in and his body relaxes and his head droops. I set him down on a nearby chair and turn to see if everyone else is alright.

Isabella approaches me, her eyes sliding over to our father.

"Will he be alright?" she asked.

"For now. What of the others?"

"Ariana has suffered a slight wound, but I managed to stanch the blood flow. She should be fine. The rest of us are fine. Only a few minor cuts i managed to heal."

I nodded. "Good."

Walking over to the bed, i knelt down at Ariana's side and removed the white cloth covering the wound right below her rib cage. The blood had stopped, but i sensed that something was slightly wrong...

I laid my hands lightly over the wound and murmured the words for healing. The wound would not close, but still no blood escaped, which was good. I closed my eyes and concentrated harder, trying to ease the torn flesh back together. Still, no results.

"I don't know what's wrong." i admitted. "The wound just won't heal."

Isabella--

"I know," I agreed. "It took too much for me to keep trying."

"At least it has stopped bleeding," Natan said. "That's a good way to start. We don't have to worry about her dying."

"Yes," I agreed. "What about you, where are you wounded?" I walked over, looking over Natan's cuts carefully. I began healing them, but there were many. I started with the more serious looking of them. "Val, you don't need to stand so close. It must bother you."

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Val--

I shook my head, staying by Natan's side.

"I'll be fine," I assured her. I wasn't breathing, which was obvious. It was hard though -- I wasn't used to holding my breath. It was habit to breath, so I never stopped. Natan looked at me a few times, not speaking.

"Are you all right?" he asked at one point in time, reaching over and running a finger across my face. I nodded, unwilling to speak for fear that I would breath. He gave me a critical look, but I did not move.

Natan-

I pushed Isabella's hands away after a moment. "It's alright, Isa, I can heal the rest."

I closed my eyes and began the slow process of healing myself. First came the most serious of my injuries that Isabella had overlooked. One rib was broken just slightly, so it was an easy fix. After a minute or two the rest of the small wounds on my body had healed and were disappearing. I opened my eyes again and smiled at Val.

"It's ok, you can breath again." i said. Her eyes flickered over to where my father sat, unconscious, in the chair near the door. His black robes were gummed to the wound, red with blood.

I walked over and lifted my father's hand that, even in unconsciousness, still rested on the wound. I laid my own hand on the spot and began healing again. After ten minutes the large gash had begun to heal and the bleeding had stopped. I was only concerned now with how much blood my father had lost.

Isabella--

"Natan, preserve the rest of your energy," I ordered, laying a hand carefully on his shoulder. "You know what happens when you heal too many people at once." Natan nodded, but was still looking worriedly at our father.

"He'll be fine," Val said, inhaling deeply. Her eyes flashed red for a moment, I caught it. I said nothing. "He hasn't lost enough to be worried -- his body is already making up for the loss."

"You're thirsty," I pointed out.
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Val--

"I am," I agreed, not meeting her eyes. I felt so damn awkward saying that to people, for obvious reason.

"Would the blood from Zalia help?" Natan suggested, trying his best to help. I remembered that her body was still on the balcony.

"Yes, thank you," I replied, disappearing to the balcony. The body was still there, unmoving. I quickly knelt beside it, biting into her neck and drinking my fill. Once I was content, I stood and wiped my mouth. Then I reentered the room.

Natan-

I carried my father to a bed, laying him down lightly so not to disturb the newly healed wound and open it again. His eyes flickered open for a moment, staring at me without recognition. Then he sighed softly and closed his eyes again, sinking into sleep.

I turned to see Val reenter the room. I walked over and embraced her quickly.

"Better?" i murmur into her hair.

Val--

I held Natan tightly, happily.

"Yes, much," I replied softly. He held me close for a moment, before letting me go. "What now?" I asked, looking around at the others.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Isabella--

I leaned against the wall between Ariana and my father's beds. This way, if anything happened, I would be completely prepared to help. Max came and sat beside me, putting an arm around my shoulders.

Natan-

I shrugged. "We wait until everyone heals properly then we'll take it from there. Who knows what adventure awaits us from here?"

She nodded and i pull her down on the bed with me.

"Get some rest." i said.

Riley-

I held Ariana's hand as she sunk into a restless sleep. After a while i got tired and laid down next to her, never releasing her hand, and fell asleep.

*Excuse the major tense changes*

Val --

I lied down next to Natan, running my fingers lightly across his face.

"You need the rest more than I do," I commented softly, a chuckle in my voice.

**>.< short, i knows.**

Max

I pulled Isabella into me and silently demanded that she rest.

"You should get some sleep," I said.

"I'm fine," she retorted stifling a yawn. I almost laughed.

"Sleep love," I said and kissed the top of her head, "you'll feel better for it."

Natan-

I smiled. "That's probably true."

"Don't worry, everyone will be fine until morning. If anything goes wrong, I'll wake you."

I chuckled. "Good luck with that."

She shifted around to get a better look at my face. "Huh?"

"Once a mage gets to the point where he or she cannot cast any more spells because they are weakened both physically and mentally, they have to sleep. And once a mage falls into this sleep, you cannot wake them until they are either fully refreshed or if, by magical means, you can pull them out of sleep." i explained patiently, gesturing to the sleeping form of my father. "Nathaniel went over that mark, so there's no telling how long he'll sleep. I am very near overstepping my mark, as well."

"Oh, i see."

I yawned. "So, like I said, good luck waking me." i said before allowing welcome sleep overtake me.

Isabella--

I gave Max a stubborn look. He reached over, gently closing my eyelids with his fingers.

"Sleep." he ordered. Sighing, I leaned against him.

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Val--

As Natan fell asleep, I leaned over and kissed his nose lightly. Then I curled up against him, making sure to keep my senses open incase of an emergency.

"Don't worry too much," Max said from across the room. "I won't be sleeping." I nodded my thanks, allowing myself to sleep.

Riley-

I woke up to the sun shining brightly in my eyes. I blinked, yawned, and stretched. I looked over and saw Ariana sleeping next to me...

I gasped and jumped up. Max, leaning against the wall looked over curiously. I blinked again.

I could see again.

The knowledge made me smile widely. I glanced thankfully at the sleeping forms of Val and Natan, then back at Ariana.

Though my sight was only back in one eye, it was better than no sight at all. I could see clearly. Every minute detail in the ceiling. Every strand of Ariana's hair stood out. I grinned again and waited for someone else to wake up.