He was almost there.
Just as he was about to take a step towards the tent, a hand grabbed his shoulder. Kealor felt his soul leaving him as his body stiffened like a vibrating spring. Foam was already at the edge of his mouth from a heart attack.
He dared not look back as he had already pronounced himself dead.
But he was pulled out of his self declaration of death when he heard the familiar voice.
"Kealor" It was Lucian.
"Luc is it really you" Kealor's voice coming out as a crack whisper, a clear chattering of teeth could be heard.
'What's wrong with him?' Lucian thought.
"What are you doing here?" Kealor sheepishly asked the only question that came to mind
"I should ask you the same thing. Sneaking around when we are supposed to stay seated in our sleeping quarters" Lucian said, scolding Kealor whose imaginary puppy ears were already drooping down.
"Then you should have stayed back, lest we both get in trouble," Kealor whined.
Lucian could comprehend what was going on in this boy's head or rather what he had just said. He retorted, scolding harsher more like an angry hiss.
"Isn't Sapphire's situation not enough…" he shook Kealor who was currently smaller than him like a rag doll as if expecting the shake to slot his senses back into order.
Kealor, dizzied by the shake, began whining a lot.
"You big Meanie"
"We are going back." Lucian said, ignoring Kealor's comment and dragged him along.
Seeing that they were going back, Kealor dug his heels into the ground to oppose Lucian's pull, grunting.
Lucian, feeling the resistance, looked back at Kealor.
"What are you doing?" he asked.
"No! I am not going back. I just got here. I want to see sapphire" Kealor said.
"You're impossible! did anything I just said, enter your head?"
"Nope! now let me go before I scream"
"Are you a baby?" Lucian asked, to which Kealor smiled before opening his mouth, wanting to scream.
Lucian saw this and let go. Kealor, unaware. Kept pulling, hit air, and dropped on his butt.
He blinked. Once. Twice.
Then got up.
Lucian folded his arms, face sour.
"Cheer up. We're here. Might as well check Sapphire."
"Mmmhmm and eventually face punishment, worse— death" Lucain replied, Kealor was silent for some time before he answered, "Wow, that is dark" but cheered up again.
"Well then, let's go" he said, before looking around, then rushed towards the tent, Lucian sighed then followed after him.
Now by the tent walls, crouched down as they approached the front side of the tent.
Just as Kealor was about to reach for the covers, Lucian immediately pulled him back and retreated back to the side of the tent.
As Kealor's hand left the tent covers. The covers were drawn open and out of it stepped two warriors, different from the one that had escorted them back.
Kealor's heart hammered against his chest and not only him as he could hear Lucian's own as Lucian still had his hand in front his shoulders, squeezed tightly his back resting on his chest.
They had almost been caught.
As the warrior's figures faded into the distance. Kealor had regained his calm but Lucian had not. Kealor had to tap Lucian's arm before he snapped out of it.
"Let's go, they are far away now" Kealor said, Lucian nodded slowly, still processing.
As Kealor got up and moved, Lucian followed along.
The covers we pulled open and they stepped in.
It seemed like they were the only ones around apart from the sleeping Sapphire and an unconscious girl.
"We did—" Kealor was about to rejoice when he spotted a hand on top of Lucian's shoulder.
As if shocked by electricity.
Kealor nearly bit his tongue off this time. He almost screamed, but a hand covered his mouth. Stopping him.
Lucian had become a stiff brick when he felt the hand. It had come out of nowhere.
No noise. nothing.
His heat sank.
'is it them?'
'Can Kealor now see them?' his thoughts raced as he began to relive the thing that had happened earlier.
Braving himself, he decided to turn his head to look at who held him even though fear was currently eating him alive. And so did Kealor.
When they finally turned, see who it was.
It was a familiar figure they knew all too well.
Kealor immediately dropped the hand over his mouth.
"Nirro?!" He said, almost screaming, Nirro nodded.
That was his name.
"Do you want give someone a fright" Nirro shook his head 'No'
"Don't creep behind someone. It scares people" Kealor said, before realizing something, then asked.
"By the way, how come we didn't see you behind us?, how did you get here"
Nirro made some gestures to which Kealor could understand, "You were already here? How?"
"Didn't we go back to the sleeping quarters together?" Kealor asked. Nirro replied with a 'No'.
He had slipped away by then. And the warriors hadn't paid acute attention.
"That's so cool" Kealor said, eyes beaming like stars as he admired Nirro the more.
"Isn't that right, Lucian?" he asked.
No answer.
"Lucian?" Kealor called out when he didn't hear any response. He turned to see Lucian visibly shaken rather he was still shaken, eyes darting from one place like he was fighting something internally.
Nirro saw this and walked up to him. Lucian didn't notice. Nirro then raised his hands and placed it on top of his shoulder, Lucian jolted slightly.
Nirro gave a tight squeeze before making small light taps on his shoulders.
The taps flowed in a rhythm. At first it looked like nothing was happening but Lucian shaking hands had stopped. He was calming down.
A few more beats before Nirro led him to one of the empty beds. A light press and Lucian sat down. He was still out of it.
Kealor came forward, eyes full of worry but he didn't say anything so as not to cause Lucian to aggravate more than he already was.
A muffled voice cut through the air, interrupting them. They all looked in the direction of where it was coming from.
It was Sapphire.
He was waking up.